R1 injured returning

[carolinablue]

Working a LL JR game tonight, I had this play.

R1 stealing, no outs. Batter hits pop-up near 3B in foul territory. F5 makes the catch and throws to F3 to try to double off R1 who beats the throw but makes an awkward slide and immediately rolls off the base in pain. F3 paused for a second and then saw him off the bag and put a tag on him. I called out.

We had about a 10 minute delay as they attended to R1 and ended up taking him to the hospital. He said he felt like he may have broken his leg. When play was about to resume I noticed a player come out of the dugout and go to first base as a sub for the injured player. I immediately announced I had an out on the play. The coach came out and asked why I called him out since he was injured and couldn't get back to the base. I explained that if I had thought he was in any danger from a secondary play I would have called time but there was no other runners or action happening.

If F3 would have delayed too long before noticing him off the base I would have called time as well but I felt like I needed to let the play finish. So did I call it right or do I need to get some sensitvity counseling as some spectators suggested after the play.

[mstaylor]

You big mean bully! If it was all pretty quick and no other play, certainly you did fine. If there is relaxed play and you think you have an injury, absolutely kill the ball.

[yawetag]

I'll be Devil's Advocate: Was the "rolling off the base" because of his injury? In other words, would he have remained on the base absent the injury to his leg? If so, I might have kept the sub on the base.

[carolinablue]

I'll be Devil's Advocate: Was the "rolling off the base" because of his injury? In other words, would he have remained on the base absent the injury to his leg? If so, I might have kept the sub on the base.

We had a pretty good rain the day before and then the sun and wind all day before the game. The field was in a bad way for sliding. It was that half dried mud that causes their feet to catch when they slide.

When he slid his lead foot caught in the mud and that caused his leg to buckle and kind of catapulted him over the base. I think he would have come off the base even if he didn't get hurt but there was a slight delay before F3 tagged him and I believe he would have had time to get back if he wasn't injured.

[yawetag]

I think he would have come off the base even if he didn't get hurt but there was a slight delay before F3 tagged him and I believe he would have had time to get back if he wasn't injured.

I'd bang the out. Whether he could have returned or not is immaterial. The only way I'd not allow the out is if he would have been on the base, but because of the injury he came off the base.

[JaxRolo]

So are you saying that the field was unsafe for play and you didn't stop it?

[yawetag]

So are you saying that the field was unsafe for play and you didn't stop it?

Are you the runner's lawyer? :)

[carolinablue]

So are you saying that the field was unsafe for play and you didn't stop it?

No, not at all, not even close. The field was fine for playing. I'm sorry if I made it sound like we were playing in a swamp or something, that's not the case. The dirt was "soft" but no standing water. It was brick dust and that seems to get tacky when you get a rain and then it starts to dry. It's a common field condition around here in the spring and fall, and in the summer it's like concrete. It's fine to play on but is less forgiving to a bad slide.

[Fittske24]

This is a judgement call. The only rule that supports this (in OBR) is 5.10 © The ball becomes dead when an umpire calls “Time.†The umpire-in-chief shall call “Timeâ€â€” When an accident incapacitates a player or an umpire. If you judge the player as incompacitated. then call time and kill the play, but remember rule 5.02 After the umpire calls “Play†the ball is alive and in play and remains alive and in play until for legal cause, or at the umpire’s call of “Time†suspending play, the ball becomes dead. While the ball is dead no player may be put out, no bases may be run and no runs may be scored, except that runners may advance one or more bases as the result of acts which occurred while the ball was alive (such as, but not limited to a balk, an overthrow, interference, or a home run or other fair ball hit out of the playing field).

[midmoump]

The play's not over 'til its over. See, for example:

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=10082289