Question: What does this statement mean to you?

[SJA]

Statement: "The pitcher picks off R1 at first base." 

1. Is R1 out?

2. Is the pitcher just ATTEMPTING to pick off R1?

Your thoughts and reason why please :-)

[flyingron]

Without qualification, I assume it was means he threw to first base and put the runner out.   The OBR qualifies it as "pick-off play" or "attempted pick off" when they mean the play without respect to the outcome.   

The OED for colloquial use agrees "to put out (a runner who has moved too far from base) by throwing the ball to that base."

[Replacematt]

Standing alone, I read that as the runner was put out.

[SJA]

What else would there be to change it? It's a statement that ends with a period. Anything that would be after that is a moot point? 

[Jimurray]

3 hours ago, flyingron said:

Without qualification, I assume it was means he threw to first base and put the runner out.   The OBR qualifies it as "pick-off play" or "attempted pick off" when they mean the play without respect to the outcome.   

The OED for colloquial use agrees "to put out (a runner who has moved too far from base) by throwing the ball to that base."

I think OBR uses it as catching the runner off base but he might not be out in all cases. From chapter 9: 
“When a runner, attempting to steal, or after being picked off base, evades being put out in a run-down play and advances to the next base without the aid of an error,”

[SJA]

Again, "The pitcher picks off R1 at first base." It's a definitive statement. R1 is out.  Yes / No? As Metallica says in their song "Nothing Else Matters". ?

PS, sorry, this is OBR 

 

[Jimurray]

12 minutes ago, SJA said:

Again, "The pitcher picks off R1 at first base." It's a definitive statement. R1 is out.  Yes / No? As Metallica says in their song "Nothing Else Matters". ?

PS, sorry, this is OBR 

 

No, after he gets picked off someone has to tag him. 

[SJA]

So what your saying is, it's an attempted pick off BEFORE the tag is put on him?

[Jimurray]

30 minutes ago, SJA said:

So what your saying is, it's an attempted pick off BEFORE the tag is put on him?

No, based on the OBR wording I would say a pick off is when the ball gets to the fielder and the runner is off the base.

[SJA]

I agree. "The pitcher picks off R1 at first base." It is not the completed act of the 1st baseman putting R1 out?

[Replacematt]

4 hours ago, Jimurray said:

I think OBR uses it as catching the runner off base but he might not be out in all cases. From chapter 9: 
“When a runner, attempting to steal, or after being picked off base, evades being put out in a run-down play and advances to the next base without the aid of an error,”

And, as OBR tends to do, they use it differently in other context:

9.16(g)Comment: ...Abel is picked off second base... (Standalone usage for indicating Abel's putout.)

I'm curious as to the purpose of the original question.

[SJA]

"Abel is picked off second base... (Standalone usage for indicating Abel's putout.)"

I agree. A local Ump asked me that question and I realized I had to think about how the question was asked / written.

[BT_Blue]

As a stand alone statement, I agree that implies that R1 was put out 1-3.

That being said... if the story continues further. I.e. "the pitcher picks R1 off at first. R1 then proceeds to get himself in a run down." And so on with the story. Then that would probably imply that R1 was caught off the base by a pick off throw. But his status is still up in the air. And the story needs to continue with more information. 

[noumpere]

22 hours ago, SJA said:

Statement: "The pitcher picks off R1 at first base." 

1. Is R1 out?

2. Is the pitcher just ATTEMPTING to pick off R1?

Your thoughts and reason why please :-)

It's never used alone.  You need the rest of the context to answer.

 

Just like so much reading in English.  "A mouse is on the desk" -- what image comes to your mind?  You won't know Whether I meant a rodent or a computer device until you read more.

[Replacematt]

11 hours ago, SJA said:

"Abel is picked off second base... (Standalone usage for indicating Abel's putout.)"

I agree. A local Ump asked me that question and I realized I had to think about how the question was asked / written.

I don't know if it's just me, but your responses seem to be a bit disjointed and confusing.

[flyingron]

16 hours ago, SJA said:

Again, "The pitcher picks off R1 at first base." It's a definitive statement. R1 is out.  Yes / No? As Metallica says in their song "Nothing Else Matters". ?

PS, sorry, this is OBR 

 

I thought it was Queen.

[maven]

I have heard "picks to first" as an expression for the attempt.

I have never heard "picks off the runner" as anything but a success term, akin to "retires the runner."

[SJA]

1 hour ago, flyingron said:

I thought it was Queen. No, Metallica

 

[BT_Blue]

15 hours ago, flyingron said:

I thought it was Queen.

Pretty sure that is "nothing really matters..."