Based loaded

Anonymous asked: Bases loaded one out.
Ground ball to third.
Runner on third goes halfway and comes back to bag.
Runner on second touches 3rd before runner on third returns to base.
Two runners standing on third.
Third baseman touches third base bag.
Who is out?


Rick answered: Thank you for your question.

As your situation is described, at the point that the 3b touches third base, no one is out.

When the ball was hit, all three base runners are forced to leave the base they currently occupied.

The runner from second is the new entitled occupant of third base. When the runner from third returned, and stood on third base, he was no longer entitled to be there.

Since third base was now occupied legally by the runner from 2b, the third baseman had two options, either tag the runner who came back to third base, which would be out number three at that point, or throw the ball to the catcher, who steps on home plate, recording the force, for out number 3.

We teach our infielders to tag both runners that are on the base, and let the umpires figure it out.

That particular situation can get somewhat crazy, when there is indecision on the part of the infielder with the ball, then the runner from second heads back towards second base, the infielder starts after him, then the runner on third heads for the plate...Suddenly a routine play becomes a defensive nightmare.

Yours in baseball,

Rick