Other out or not...

[batboy_2006]

SPN league. 1 out, runners on 1 and 3. Ball hit to RF. Ball hits fielders glove, pops out without him having any control, he kind of bobbles/juggles it around (which you can clearly see the ball the whole time) and then finally catches it and securely has it. Batter is called out on the catch (2nd out). Runner at 1 takes off after initial contact with the glove. Runner at 3 waits until the ball is fully secured and then takes off to home. Runner from 1 is standing on 3 and runner from 3 is long past home already. Other team yells that runner didn't tag at 1, then throw the ball to 1 and umps calls out.

Am I not correct in saying that a base runner can take off on initial contact with a fielders glove?

If the runner is deemed to have left early and the ball goes back to 1st for the out well after the runner from 3 has crossed home, its still an out and the run doesn't score, right?

 

[irishmafia]

SPN league. 1 out, runners on 1 and 3. Ball hit to RF. Ball hits fielders glove, pops out without him having any control, he kind of bobbles/juggles it around (which you can clearly see the ball the whole time) and then finally catches it and securely has it. Batter is called out on the catch (2nd out). Runner at 1 takes off after initial contact with the glove. Runner at 3 waits until the ball is fully secured and then takes off to home. Runner from 1 is standing on 3 and runner from 3 is long past home already. Other team yells that runner didn't tag at 1, then throw the ball to 1 and umps calls out.

Am I not correct in saying that a base runner can take off on initial contact with a fielders glove?

Part of umpiring 101, the umpires were wrong.

If the runner is deemed to have left early and the ball goes back to 1st for the out well after the runner from 3 has crossed home, its still an out and the run doesn't score, right?

No, if the run scores prior to the out executed at 1B, the run counts

 

[fitzpats]

Part of umpiring 101, the umpires were wrong.

No, if the run scores prior to the out executed at 1B, the run counts

He's correct. Otherwise the OFers could juggle the ball from the fence to the IF without allowing a runner to move from the base.

 

[batboy_2006]

I talked to the ump after the 3rd out because I was the guy on 1. He said he was pretty sure I couldn't leave until the ball was caught. I kept mentioning that runners could go on contact with the fielders glove, either caught, bobbled, or dropped. He didn't seem to think so at all.

I was 99.9% sure the run still should have counted, but the more I thought about it on the ride home, I was starting to doubt my initial thought.

Ump messaged me after the game and said he blew both calls and apologized. It didn't cost us the game (lack of hitting as usual did that) and it's not the end of the world. It's only rec coed ball and only a handful of games into the season. It's his first year umping too. But now he knows for sure and prob won't ever make that call wrong again.