Rous
Addicted to Softballfans
We were in the third base dugout, based loaded, no outs.
Batter hit a grounder to the third baseman; all runners took off. The third baseman stepped on third (out #1) and threw home. The catcher tagged out the runner who had been on third (out #2) and then threw back to third base as the runner who had been on second when the play started had continued towards third (trotting past the shortstop as the ball got back to third base). The third baseman caught the ball and went to tag the runner (who had been out #2 by force). The runner did make a move to avoid his tag although was tagged quickly. Then the umpire called the guy standing on second (who had started the play on first) out (out #3) because "the base runner who had been out by force caused the catcher to throw to third." They did not say it was because he tried to avoid the tag, but because he had continued towards third (which is also in the direction of our dugout).
If this is the right call, what should the runner have done? I never asked him if he had seen the third baseman step on third, but I suspect he did (I can't see how that matters though).
Batter hit a grounder to the third baseman; all runners took off. The third baseman stepped on third (out #1) and threw home. The catcher tagged out the runner who had been on third (out #2) and then threw back to third base as the runner who had been on second when the play started had continued towards third (trotting past the shortstop as the ball got back to third base). The third baseman caught the ball and went to tag the runner (who had been out #2 by force). The runner did make a move to avoid his tag although was tagged quickly. Then the umpire called the guy standing on second (who had started the play on first) out (out #3) because "the base runner who had been out by force caused the catcher to throw to third." They did not say it was because he tried to avoid the tag, but because he had continued towards third (which is also in the direction of our dugout).
If this is the right call, what should the runner have done? I never asked him if he had seen the third baseman step on third, but I suspect he did (I can't see how that matters though).