Maybe a Skunk, but Definitely a Rodent In the Grass

[MadMax]

We all Most of us know about the "Skunk In the Grass" play, yes? I had a team set one up during a MLK Day Weekend Tournament here... R1 and R3, and R1 started leading off down the 1BL to RF, but the pitcher never looked over and the batter wasn't disciplined enough to resist swinging at a fairly fat pitch and popped out. The entire crowd in attendance didn't get a chance to see the play (stand-off) develop to its full potential, but it got several buzzing and twittering (no, not actually on Twitter).

It got me thinking of other time-bleeding "legal" plays and "stand-off" situations where a team is trying a trick at scoring R3 at the accepted risk of losing R1. So here's what I came up with...

R2. 2 outs or less (inconsequential, but more likely with 2 outs because a sac fly or squeeze bunt won't work). Batter lays down a bunt, and beats the throw to 1B. He touches the base, but keeps right on going down the 1BL some 30-to-40-perhaps-more feet. Meanwhile, R2 arrives at R3, rounds it, and stays off the bag in a threatening-to-score position. R1 (perhaps at the cue of his 1BC) then makes a definite move towards 2B, drawing the attention of nearly the entire DT and the BU (PU is, of course, still watching the plate and now-R3). Because R3 has not returned to the 3B, and is instead in a posture to attempt to go to HP, a knowledgeable umpire is not going to just ambiguously call "Time!" (there are no injuries or technical failures (dislodged base)).

So how does this go? Obviously, R1 has negated his right to return to 1B unaffected ("directly") because he made that move towards 2B. What limitations are now on him? Also, nothing has occurred to make the ball Dead. R1 did visibly touch 1B, so he can't be out on Appeal. A play has to be made somewhere... right?

[Senor Azul]

Here are a couple things to consider from the OBR rule book and the BRD:

5.09 Making an Out

(c) (7.10) Appeal Plays

Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when:… (3) He overruns or overslides first base and fails to return to the base immediately, and he or the base is tagged prior to the runner returning to first base;

Official Interpretation : Wendelstedt:  A runner may lead off any base in any manner he wishes, including as far into the outfield as he’d like. The only restriction involves first:  If BR runs through first, he is required to return to it before taking his lead. He may not remain out in the outfield and “lead off” from that position, or attempt to draw a throw from the defense to allow other runners to advance. (11/16/14)

[MadMax]

Wow, @Senor Azul, thanks for finding that. With a knowledgeable umpire, my posed situation wouldn't "work", then. Granted, a team might not know that F3 merely has to stand on 1B with the ball and appeal BR's lack of direct return, but if they do, this is counter to BR trying to link his running to and beyond 1B into a "skunk in the grass" standoff.

The OBR book is a little unclear, but HW clarifies it exactly.

Now, just to revisit SITG, the vertices of R1's basepath are established as...

1) 1B and a point along the line of his lead (for example's sake, we'll use 1BL, thus... the 1BL foul pole).

or

2) a point along his lead wherein a play is attempted on him and 2B (so, if he leads off up the chalk 50', then his vertices are 140' "mark" and 2B)?

Which one?