Check swing appeal - bases loaded

[Guest Shelli]

Bases loaded - full count - PU calls ball 4 - all runners start to advance.

Appeal made to BU - he calls 3rd strike.

Runners have already advanced - defense throws ball to bases for additional outs.

What is the call?  Should PU have called time/dead ball until BU call was made?

 

[LRZ]

I can't speak to FED, but OBR, Comment to Rule 8.02(c): "Baserunners must be alert to the possibility that the base umpire on appeal from the plate umpire may reverse the call of a ball to the call of a strike, in which event the runner is in jeopardy of being out by the catcher’s throw. Also, a catcher must be alert in a base stealing situation if a ball call is reversed to a strike by the base umpire upon appeal from the plate umpire. The ball is in play on appeal on a half swing."

[noumpere]

In FED, if a call is reversed that puts a team at a disadvantage, it's rectified.  Put the runners back.

[maven]

36 minutes ago, noumpere said:

In FED, if a call is reversed that puts a team at a disadvantage, it's rectified.  Put the runners back.

OBR too. 8.02(c) reads in part:

Quote

If the umpires consult after a play and change a call that had been made, then they have the authority to take all steps that they may deem necessary, in their discretion, to eliminate the results and consequences of the earlier call that they are reversing, including placing runners where they think those runners would have been after the play, had the ultimate call been  made  as  the  initial  call,  disregarding  interference  or obstruction that may have occurred on the play; failures of runners to tag up based upon the initial call on the field; runners passing other runners or missing bases; etc., all in the discretion of the umpires.

 

[grayhawk]

PU should immediately go to BU to verify swing or no swing.

[beerguy55]

3 hours ago, LRZ said:

I can't speak to FED, but OBR, Comment to Rule 8.02(c): "Baserunners must be alert to the possibility that the base umpire on appeal from the plate umpire may reverse the call of a ball to the call of a strike, in which event the runner is in jeopardy of being out by the catcher’s throw. Also, a catcher must be alert in a base stealing situation if a ball call is reversed to a strike by the base umpire upon appeal from the plate umpire. The ball is in play on appeal on a half swing."

To a degree.   The most applicable context to the statement is a runner who is stealing on the pitch - don't slow down just because you heard ball four.  Or a runner who has given the umpires zero time to work out any check swing appeal before he starts advancing to the next base.

What you don't want is a catcher waiting until any of the forced base runners gets close enough to their next base to apply a tag (either at home or throwing to another base, or both), before appealing the check swing.   How long is it reasonable for a base runner to wait before making sure the batter actually got ball four before advancing to his forced base?

As stated above, PU should be appealing right away...if he doesn't, and his ball four call turns into a delayed appeal that becomes strike three (or one, or two), you need to rectify.  Allowing a situation that turns a delayed check swing appeal into a tactic to get additional outs isn't baseball.