Dodge at Home Plate

[Gfoley4]

 

What's the call? My deciding factor would be whether you judge the fall at :07-08 as a tag attempt. I think clearly in the first tag attempt they are not out of the basepath. (Assuming the softball rule is the same as the baseball rule here)

[The Man in Blue]

Base path rule is the same.  I agree, I don't think she went more than three feet from her path on the tag.  Then the path resets.

I checked the NCAA book (based on the umpire's uniform) ... I could not find anything outlawing the "Hey Mo!" move at the end.  After I wipe the tears from my eyes, I have a run scored.  

Anybody else have an issue with the PU's position on this?

[concertman1971]

4 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Base path rule is the same.  I agree, I don't think she went more than three feet from her path on the tag.  Then the path resets.

I checked the NCAA book (based on the umpire's uniform) ... I could not find anything outlawing the "Hey Mo!" move at the end.  After I wipe the tears from my eyes, I have a run scored.  

Anybody else have an issue with the PU's position on this?

All of this. And hahahahahahahha at the "hey Mo!" 

[maven]

12 hours ago, Gfoley4 said:

What's the call?

Out on the tag.

[Velho]

If the tag starts at 1B extended (generous to the runner) - so that's her base path - no?

She appears leaps to behind the left handed batters box. Are folks saying she's safe saying that because that leapt distance is less than 3 feet?

Or other geometry I'm missing?

Edited April 16, 2023 by Velho
Grammatical clarification

[834k3r]

15 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

Anybody else have an issue with the PU's position on this?

Seems like he totally got caught watching the play (something I've been guilty of a few times too). Not sure why he's 1BLX (softball PU mechanic? I don't work softball, so I don't know), but I would've started 3BLX and adjusted from there.

[The Man in Blue]

Not a softball taught mechanic, but a preferred-by-some old school mechanic ... typically by old umpires who can't move to adjust quick enough when the play actually unfolds.

This debate came up at the annual clinic I went to this past weekend.  Some umpires feel 3BLX has more potential to block you out (which means they didn't move with the play).  

One advantage to 3BLX that I like is that it gives you a much better view of a potential obstruction leading up to the throw/tag.

[Velho]

 

On 3/23/2023 at 7:54 AM, Velho said:

If the tag starts at 1B extended (generous to the runner) - so that's her base path - no?

She appears leaps to behind the left handed batters box. Are folks saying she's safe saying that because that leapt distance is less than 3 feet?

Or other geometry I'm missing?

Sorry to beg for a response, but I'm trying to figure out what I'm missing.

[RBIbaseball]

On 4/16/2023 at 4:33 PM, Velho said:

 

Sorry to beg for a response, but I'm trying to figure out what I'm missing.

Okay, so you're in luck ... I ran this play through my Paint.exe AI analysis program, and here is what I came up with...

I evaluated the video frame by frame and to the best of my ability plotted out both the foot position and the center of mass of 4 major points in time:

1. The position of the runner when the first tag attempt was made.

2. The inital landing position of the runner on one foot after the dodge (right foot on the ground, left foot swinging in the air).

3. The final position of the runner after her momentum came under control (bent over with left knee of the ground)

4. The position of the runner after dodge #2, where she lept backward and to the left directly behind home plate.

 

 

Giving the runner the benefit of the doubt and making the "straight line to the plate" the furthest point on the plate to give the runner an advantage, I graphed the approximate established basepath at the point of tag #1 (red dashed line) and #3 (pink dashed line).

 

Using the batter's box turned sideways as a scale, and applying my knowledge of the pythagorem theorum, I conclude that dodge #1 only took the runner approximately 2.5 feet out of the first established basepath.

HOWEVER, the dodge #2 she lept approximately five feet to the left and 3' and 2 1/2" backwards, resulting in her leaving the 2nd established bathpath by a distance of 5' and 11 & 1/8".


Conclusion: Umpire should have called the runner out on the second dodge for leaving the basepath.


DISCLAIMER: Margin of error of analysis = 0-100%

 

[The Man in Blue]

Do you work for Apple TV+ ?!

 

😉

 

... and the parents sitting in left field STILL think they know better than you.  You blew it.

[Velho]

@RBIbaseball You the man. Doing the best baseball game of the era proud.