You cannot tag the green first base base
- Thread starter onewoof
- Start date
I've started and stopped this sentence several times. I can't decide where I stand on this.
Except on a dropped third that rolls to the right of the line.
They also scored that wrong. Gave the E to the pitcher. But if a fielder catches a thrown ball in time to put out the batter/runner at first but fails to tag him or the touch the base, then the E goes to that fielder. Should have been E3.
They also scored that wrong. Gave the E to the pitcher. But if a fielder catches a thrown ball in time to put out the batter/runner at first but fails to tag him or the touch the base, then the E goes to that fielder. Should have been E3.
The green second base is a freaking abomination and has no business in baseball. But if you are going to insist on having it, it's got to be a base all of the time. This business of sometimes it is a base and sometimes it isn't is a freaking joke.
Agreed. If a runner can be safe by reaching the green then he can be put out by a fielder touching the green.
Whether it is a good thing or not is certainly debatable but the safety base is there to prevent injuries by forcing separation between runner and fielder as runners run through first. It is only in play for to that specific instance. For it to work as intended the runner and fielder must be limited to a designated base. The concept won't work if they are interchangeable.
There is a flip side to this also. If the runner steps on the white base as he runs through he is automatically out.
There is a flip side to this also. If the runner steps on the white base as he runs through he is automatically out.
Were we having a problem with injuries on plays at first base? They solved a problem that didn't exist and created a lot of other problems instead.
Easy to remember hints for first basemen: If the base aint white it aint right. Or. touch green base, have red face.
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As a First baseman I like the safety base. It is handled properly. The white base is for the fielder except for a dropped third strike where the catcher has to throw from foul ground and then the base flips for both runner and fielder. Pretty simple to understand. I saw multiple first baseman suffer some pretty serious wrist injuries by having to move into the runner to catch a ball. Also the running lane to the right of the line caused much more confusion and was hardly ever called.
It mostly solves another major issue - the interference rule. The one where you were expected to run in foul territory to reach a base in fair territory. So glad they did this
You're only touching one side of the base. It's not a problem. Heck, we've already seen more problems with the green base this year alone than we had in 100 years the old way.
But even if you were only touching one side of the base if you get in the way of the throw, you were out. It was a huge problem. It probably cost Oklahoma game 2 of 22 cws. Guys busting it down the first baseline should not have to worry about where they are stepping.
I remember all the way back to 1969 where the Mets win game 4 of the world series because the ball hit J.C. Martin in the back on a bunt. He was on the left side of the baseline and should have been called out. It has happened many other times that I know of during my time watching and playing baseball.
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Another thing about the green bag and I apologize if someone else mentioned this already.... on a ground ball you have to run through the green bag. Cannot run through the regular fb bag. A kid from Hofstra tried this against us a few weeks ago and they called him out
So, if anyone cares, here are the Little League Rules for using the safety bag at first base. They may not correlate exactly with NCAA rules, but it's just info.
A batted ball that first touches the standard portion is fair; a batted batter that first touches the safety portion is fouls. OK - that's obvious because the foul line splits them.
On a batted ball, if there is a play at first, and the batter-runner is running through first, he must touch the safety portion, and the fielder can only use the standard portion. If the runner uses the standard portion, they are considered safe but can be called out on an appeal. If the fielder uses the safety portion on such a play, the runner is called safe. After having run through, the runner returning to first must return to the standard portion of the bag (i.e., once that runner runs through the safety portion, the safety portion no longer "exists"). Theory: a runner with a full head of steam never needs to be in fair territory, and the fielder never needs to be in foul territory. This should reduce violent collisions in theory, but as others have said, we aren't given a whole lot of statistics about how often this was happening, and thus how effective this is for avoiding them in the future. And, it only works until someone uncorks an errant throw to first, and then comes the chaos. Also, making "the runner missed the safety portion" call an appeal play reduces the likelihood of a fielder trying to chase a runner around and the confusion of which part does the runner have to return to in this instance.
On an uncaught third strike, the runner can use either portion of the bag, and the fielder can use either portion as well. Theory: the runner is running with his back to the ball and has no idea which side of him the throw is going to come from, so he should be given every option to avoid crashing into the first baseman, who presumably is setting up on the wide side of either the standard portion or the safety portion because he knows the best angle for taking the throw. But again, you are depending on players' knowing the right thing to do and executing the play.
For younger players, I get it. The kids are unpredictable, and you want to take opportunities to reduce injuries. Also, a lot of safety rules are in youth sports because some league somewhere got sued for an injury, so the organizations lean into any rules that can give them a CYA if they end up in court. But once you get into high school and above, I'm not sure adding the safety bag does much other than confuse players, coaches, and spectators, ad give umpires more rules to memorize.
But hey - I'm an umpire. I'm gonna call the game by the rules that have been established.
A batted ball that first touches the standard portion is fair; a batted batter that first touches the safety portion is fouls. OK - that's obvious because the foul line splits them.
On a batted ball, if there is a play at first, and the batter-runner is running through first, he must touch the safety portion, and the fielder can only use the standard portion. If the runner uses the standard portion, they are considered safe but can be called out on an appeal. If the fielder uses the safety portion on such a play, the runner is called safe. After having run through, the runner returning to first must return to the standard portion of the bag (i.e., once that runner runs through the safety portion, the safety portion no longer "exists"). Theory: a runner with a full head of steam never needs to be in fair territory, and the fielder never needs to be in foul territory. This should reduce violent collisions in theory, but as others have said, we aren't given a whole lot of statistics about how often this was happening, and thus how effective this is for avoiding them in the future. And, it only works until someone uncorks an errant throw to first, and then comes the chaos. Also, making "the runner missed the safety portion" call an appeal play reduces the likelihood of a fielder trying to chase a runner around and the confusion of which part does the runner have to return to in this instance.
On an uncaught third strike, the runner can use either portion of the bag, and the fielder can use either portion as well. Theory: the runner is running with his back to the ball and has no idea which side of him the throw is going to come from, so he should be given every option to avoid crashing into the first baseman, who presumably is setting up on the wide side of either the standard portion or the safety portion because he knows the best angle for taking the throw. But again, you are depending on players' knowing the right thing to do and executing the play.
For younger players, I get it. The kids are unpredictable, and you want to take opportunities to reduce injuries. Also, a lot of safety rules are in youth sports because some league somewhere got sued for an injury, so the organizations lean into any rules that can give them a CYA if they end up in court. But once you get into high school and above, I'm not sure adding the safety bag does much other than confuse players, coaches, and spectators, ad give umpires more rules to memorize.
But hey - I'm an umpire. I'm gonna call the game by the rules that have been established.
1. Baseball isn’t bumper cars.
2. Don’t want to run into the first baseman? That’s easy. Don’t ******* do it. Simple. You gotta be smarter than the base. Don’t let it outsmart you.
2. Don’t want to run into the first baseman? That’s easy. Don’t ******* do it. Simple. You gotta be smarter than the base. Don’t let it outsmart you.
If the green bag is there for the runner to avoid leg/ankle injuries due to contact, then it should apply both ways.
The 1st baseman should be able to use it too, so leg/ankle injuries due to contact are avoided.
The 1st baseman should be able to use it too, so leg/ankle injuries due to contact are avoided.
Well, it’s certainly reassuring to know that they took by far and away the most horrid rule in all of sports, and somehow made it even worse.
None of y'all complaining ever played first base. Morons.
How the heck are players supposed to remember all these rule & exceptions in the heat of the action.
Tall lefty here. I played first and pitched from 8yo thru HS for school and travel ball.
Why am I a moron this time?
If you're complaining about the green base you're a moron
Ha, no hill to die on. It's Bruce and baseball, so what he says will be gospel.
I am genuinely curious why I am a moron this time though.
He will have perspective I lack, so it'd be good to know.
Many things have lasted a long time before an improvement was made. How many years was the wheel around before they invented pneumatic tires?
We would still be on rickety bone jarring wood rims with steel banding if Harvey Firestone was like you.
What about batting helmets? They played baseball for almost 90 years before the batting helmet came into being.
What about the pitch clock. Huge uproar year one. Now no one complains. That was 130 years before improvement
Automated strikes are proving to be a positive this spring and baseball will get there in a year or two of just letting that call balls and strikes
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Baltimore orioles would have loved a green base in the 69 world series is just one of the most famous examples that I already shared. I know of two guys I played against that would not have had their arm in a cast for weeks if the green base was in play back then. It is a very sensible and reasonable fix to something that has been an issue in Baseball.
Additionally in little league and HS you didn't have guys like Bo Jackson and Frank Thomas coming down that line.
It's just like they outlawed the Barrel roll slide at 2nd base because middle infielders were having their knees being taken out. It's a good safety rule and will lower collisions at 1B.
Y'all complaining about it don't want to change it just because you don't want to change it.
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Thanks for clarifying.
I was complaining about it too, but from a different perspective, since I dislike that it isnt available for both teams to use.
I was complaining about it, but not due to its existance, which is what your comment is about.
Whatever dude. I played first a lot and whenever the ball was kicked my direction I made sure to avoid the runner. Besides. If a green bag is there, where is the keg supposed to go? Rookie.
I personally do not have a problem with the green base from a safety standpoint. I just think the fielder should be able to tag it as well seeing that he rubber also can
That’s the thing. Where were all the injuries this is supposed to prevent? They’re not there. If we want to prevent injuries, let’s look at the pitchers. If you don’t have a couple of Tommy John’s on you staff every year, you’re the rare exception. Change si they pitch underhanded which puts much much less stress on you arm & shoulder. Ridiculous? Of course. But so is a green base to prevent a problem that never existed. And created problems of its own.