Improper batter/balk/HBP

[ikeequa]

Just point them to 6.07 ( b ).  It's cut and dried, and even mentions what happens when the batter becomes a runner when he is HPB.

 

When an improper batter becomes a runner or is put out, and the defensive team

appeals to the umpire before the first pitch to the next batter of either team, or

before any play or attempted play, the umpire shall (1) declare the proper batter

out; and (2) nullify any advance or score made because of a ball batted by the

improper batter or because of the improper batter’s advance to first base on a hit, an

error, a base on balls, a hit batter or otherwise.

I would completely agree. Except for the balk. Runners don't advance on HBP, they advance on the balk. The HBP, IMO, doesn't nullify the balk. Fed has this one right. Kill it on the balk.

Yup, the Fed rules are much easier in this situation. Let's petition MLB to adopt it.

[UmpTTS43]

Thought about this play a bit.  I thought how I would rule if it happened at the time, then reevaluated, and came up with the same ruling.  It is impossible to have interps concerning every possible situation.  This is where we earn our money.  We take the knowledge that we have concerning rules, similar situations, and try to apply them to the best of our abilities.  It is situations such as this that have the potential for a protest where an official interp can be given.

 

Bases loaded.  Pitcher balks and hits batter with pitch.  Batter awarded 1st, moving runners up one base.  Defensive coach appeals BOO. Appeal upheld.

 

I am going to call proper batter out, return all runners back to their bases.   I will not retroactively enforce the balk.  In OBR, when you have a balk and the pitch is delivered, you have to take the totality of the play in order to make a correct ruling.  Since the batter was hit and his award of 1st forces all runners the balk is disregarded.  The at-bat is now complete.  When a balk occurs, you either enforce it or disregard it taking the play into consideration.  In our sitch, we have one play and this play dictates you disregard the balk.  When you have CI, there are instances when a balk can be retroactively enforced.  This can happen because we are considering multiple plays.  

 

Consider this.  If you believe that you would get the out on appeal and enforce the balk, what are you going to do when the appeal results in the 3rd out?  The penalty for a balk is always, at minimum, a one base award for the runners.  You can never have a situation where a balk is called, the criteria is not met for disregarding the balk, and an out occuring. 

 

There is a similar situation that has two different camps in the professional ranks. 

 

R3 3-0 count.  Wild pitch, ball 4. R3 scores, BR to 1st.  Defense properly appeals BOO. 

 

The question is what do we do with R3 once the batter is called out for BOO?  One camp says that R3 scored as a result of the wild pitch, which is a legal advancement during a BOO situation, and thus his score is legal.  The other camp says that as soon as the batter received ball 4, he is now a runner, and any actions as a result of him becoming a runner are disregarded if the appeal is upheld, thereby returning R3 to 3rd.  I am in this later camp.  To the best of my knowledge, this is the official interp concerning OBR. 

 

In the end, since we are dealing with a single play, a play in which criteria was met for disregarding the balk by virtue of the batter becoming a runner, we call proper batter out and put runners back to their placement at the time prior to the batter becoming a runner.

[ikeequa]

There is a similar situation that has two different camps in the professional ranks. 

 

R3 3-0 count.  Wild pitch, ball 4. R3 scores, BR to 1st.  Defense properly appeals BOO. 

 

The question is what do we do with R3 once the batter is called out for BOO?  One camp says that R3 scored as a result of the wild pitch, which is a legal advancement during a BOO situation, and thus his score is legal.  The other camp says that as soon as the batter received ball 4, he is now a runner, and any actions as a result of him becoming a runner are disregarded if the appeal is upheld, thereby returning R3 to 3rd.  I am in this later camp.  To the best of my knowledge, this is the official interp concerning OBR. 

 

In the end, since we are dealing with a single play, a play in which criteria was met for disregarding the balk by virtue of the batter becoming a runner, we call proper batter out and put runners back to their placement at the time prior to the batter becoming a runner.

This is my own stupid curiosity here: But in this case does R3 advance because of the walk? In this case R3 actually scores because of the wild pitch, he is not forced due to the actions of the batter forcing him. I'm not objecting to your decision, just trying to learn as much as I can. I read someplace that runners can never advance on the final pitch to an improper batter. I'll go with the official interpretation, but it seems counter to the rules.

Btw. thanks for your detailed answer to my dilemma.

[UmpTTS43]

Although R3 scored due to the wild pitch, because the batter became a BR the instant the pitched ball was ball 4, by rule, advances made during this time are disregarded. Sometimes a line has to be drawn somewhere and this is it.