Score That Run - The Plate Mechanic

Scott Ehret writes on May 19, 1996 ......

Federation: Observe any remaining action. When playing action ends, declare the runner out for failing to touch a base. (That's standard procedure in Federation softball and baseball.)

USSSA: Pause momentarily to see if the players will "solve" the problem (by touching the plate or applying the tag). If they do not, signal safe in a calm manner -- no voice. If a legal appeal follows, the runner is (of course) out.

ASA: Essentially the same as USSSA, but the umpire will also use voice to declare the runner safe. Again, the runner is out on legal appeal.

Scott Ehret was the editor of Referee magazine.

Jim Booth writes on May 20, 1996 ....

"On a play at the plate, should a runner miss home plate and the fielder miss the tag on the runner, the umpire shall make no signal on the play. The runner must be tagged if he attempts to return immediately to the plate; if he continues on his way to the bench, the defense may make an appeal."

If no appeal is made before the next pitch or play, score the run. He may attempt to correct his mistake as long as no succeeding runner has scored and he has not entered the dugout or any dead ball area.

John Barnes writes on May 24, 1996 ....

Now, lets add another angle. How about if the catcher in disgust kicks the plate with the ball in his possession, do you have an out?

No, because even though it's a force play, the runner has passed the plate and it now has become an appeal play and for an appeal play to take place there has to be three things happen. First, there has to be an base running error, which we have. Then the umpire has to have unmistakable evidence that there is an appeal being made. Third, the base must be touched or the runner must be touched, before the runner has touched the base where the error took place. In this case the umpire does not have unmistakable evidence that an appeal is being made. Now if someone yells "he missed the plate" and the catcher then touches the plate with the ball in his possession, you have the evidence and you have an out.

Appeals are great fun. Play: Runner at first, hit and run is on when the batter hits a line drive to the second baseman who catches the ball and throws the ball to first to double up the runner. The batter and the runner are both out, but why is the runner out? Common answer, he's just out and everybody knows he's out, but why. It's an appeal play.

We have all three aspects of an appeal. We have the base running error, we have unmistakable evidence when the second baseman fires the ball to first and we have the base touched before the runner can return. Notice here that there is no mention of a "verbal" appeal.

Like I say appeals are fun. Keep up the good work!!

Bruce Somers adds his comments on July 7, 1996 ....

The first thing I'm going to do is give a "Safe" signal on the swipe tag. Along with a verbal "NO TAG, NO TAG!"

Now you did not say how close the runner was or was not to touching HOME. Yes, to me it does make a difference. I can see a miss of a foot, I can't see a miss of an inch.

What follows depends upon the rules under which the game is being played. If the runner has clearly missed the plate and has made no attempt to return to touch HOME, I may have an out. If it's Federation Rules and there is no appeal play, I'm going to call the runner out when he or she steps into the dugout.

Under any other set of rules, I'm going to wait for the defense to do their job. If I don't hear a legal appeal, the run scores. I really think the defense needs to do its job and check runners as they pass a base. Yes, it's the umpires job to watch too, but just so that he can rule on the appeal.

Needless to say, the Federation does not agree.