Wooball;1206280 wrote:There was only 1 out, so the runners were not off on the pitch. So when the runners look in, see the homeplate ump call ball 4 and not immediately check the swing they could have started off for the next base, only for a second later the call gets appealed and the batter is rung up leaving the runners in "no-mans" land. Would the catcher be able to throw out the runners that are reacting to what they thought was a ball 4 call and free advancement?
Runners can be thrown out in this case.
When I umpired I didn't see the actual rule, but found this in the casebook (just as important for an umpire as the rule book).
This is very similar to when someone is steeling with a 3-2 count and there is a check swing.
If the catcher throws the base ump is supposed to make no call but 'know' what the call would be. If the plate ump calls ball 4 and then there is an appeal on a check swing there is then 2 cases.
If the swing was "safe" then ball 4 and the field ump never makes a call for the stealing base runner since he was forced there by the walk.
If the swing was called a strike, then the field ump has to call what should have been called on the stealing base runniner (out or safe).
You want to make a HS coach go mad quickly? I was umping a HS game once and we did have 2 field umps and I was the one that switched between 2nd/3rd.
This exact scenario, runner on 1st, full count, check swing during a steal attempt. Plate ump said ball 4, play at 2nd was close but the tag happened before the runner made it (runner might have even slowed down knowing it was ball 4). The appeal to the 1st base ump was called strike 3 at that point I had to call the runner out at 2nd base.
The coach of the team that was batting was livid. I heard everything from "you called him safe at first" (which I didn't, I didn't make a call at all) to "he slowed down because it was ball 4".
I had to let him know that it was not my fault that HIS players didn't know the rules of the game (to run out a steal attempt on a check swing 3rd strike for just this instance) and that maybe he should help them learn the rules more so they know when to run hard.