Baseline rules question

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  • Senser81
    VSN Poster of the Year
    • Feb 2009
    • 12804

    Baseline rules question

    Couldn't find anything specifically in the rule book about this. Here is the situation...

    Runner on 3rd is coming home, catcher receives ball on the left side of home plate. To avoid a tag, the runner moves away from the catcher so he's in front of home plate, and then tags the upper-right hand corner of the plate.

    All I've read is that the baseline extends behind home plate, but I don't know how far in front of home plate a runner can go to avoid a tag. Does anyone know?
  • Houston
    Back home
    • Oct 2008
    • 21231

    #2
    As long as he doesn't cross 3 feet to his right or left I'm pretty sure it's fair.

    Comment

    • killgod
      OHHHH WHEN THE REDSSSSS
      • Oct 2008
      • 4714

      #3
      I would take an educated guess and assume he has just as much space inside the lines as he does outside.

      Or else why wouldn't catchers always overplay the outside of the base path knowing you can't go in?

      Comment

      • EmpireWF
        Giants in the Super Bowl
        • Mar 2009
        • 24082

        #4
        From MLB.com's rulebook:

        7.08
        Any runner is out when --
        (a) (1) He runs more than three feet away from his baseline to avoid being tagged unless his action is to avoid interference with a fielder fielding a batted ball. A runner’s baseline is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight line from the runner to the base he is attempting to reach safely


        Comment

        • NAHSTE
          Probably owns the site
          • Feb 2009
          • 22233

          #5
          There is no predefined baseline. The baseline is just whichever plane you are on when the fielder gets the ball.

          Once in high school a team had runners on the corners and did a double steal. The runner between 1st and 2nd took off for the shallow outfield ... Obviously our SS chased him for a few steps and then started bitching to the ump that he was out of the baseline. The ump said "you establish your own baseline" as the runner on 3rd jogged home.

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