Play No. 1

The Rangers and Red Sox played at Fenway on May 7th. In the top of the third, the Rangers had Josh Jung on second and Jonah Heim on third with one out when Wyatt Langford hit a tapper to the third base side of the mound. The ball was fielded by Tanner Houck who threw to Romy Gonzalez at first base. The throw was low and Gonzalez couldn’t handle it.

While Gonzalez was attempting to reach for the ball, Langford had to go around Gonzalez and in so doing failed to touch first base. First base umpire Adam Beck made the safe sign. Meanwhile Gonzalez secured the ball and stepped on first base.

The call on the field was safe which brought Alex Cora out to make a visit with Beck. The Red Sox challenged the call. The Replay Official confirmed the safe call on the field.

Ruleball Comments

• The report read, The Replay Official definitively determined that the batter-runner missed first base, and the fielder did not have firm and secure possession of the ball prior to the batter-runner’s second foot touching the ground beyond the base. Per the MLB Umpire Manual Rule Interpretation #39, “Appeal Play—Approved Rulings Rule 5.09(c) (12) Batter-runner hits a ground ball and beats the play at first base but misses the bag. Ruling: The proper mechanic is for the umpire to make no call on the play because the batter-runner has not yet touched first base. If the defense appeals by tagging the runner (or base) and appealing that the runner missed first base before the runner returns to first base, the batter-runner would be declared out.” Note also Official Baseball Rule 5.09(b)(12) Rule 5.09(c) Comment: “An appeal should be clearly intended as an appeal, either by a verbal request by the player or an act that unmistakably indicates an appeal to the umpire. A player, inadvertently stepping on the base with a ball in his hand, would not constitute an appeal.” The call on the field is CONFIRMED, batter-runner is safe.
• Because both of Langford’s feet touched the ground beyond first base before Gonzalez had secure possession of the ball, this became an appeal play.
• Gonzalez would have had to make an appeal clearly intended to retire Langford, but he did not. By inadvertently stepping on the base, this was not considered a valid appeal because the unintentional act was not intended as an appeal of the runner.
  It was the wrong mechanic for Beck to make the safe call. Umpires are instructed to make no call when there is no touch, no tag of a base.
• This commonly occurs on tag plays at the plate and plays at first base such as the above play. By making the safe sign, it can be confusing to both the runner and the fielder.
• In no touch, no tag plays at first base, if the batter-runner is in close proximity to the base, the fielder can retire the batter-runner if he tags the base or the batter-runner assuming the fielder clearly intended to appeal the batter-runner. That would be an act that unmistakably indicates an appeal to the umpire. An inadvertent or unintentional touch of the base does not meet the standard of a proper appeal in an unrelaxed situation which means the fielder and the runner are in close proximity to the base.
• If the batter-runner wanders a reasonable distance from the base, the first baseman can appeal the batter-runner by stepping on the base because he would not be required to chase the batter-runner. That would be a relaxed situation.
• In no touch, no tag plays at the plate, the catcher must tag the runner unless he has to chase the runner in which case he can appeal to the umpire by stepping on the plate. Unlike the no touch, no tag play at first base, the catcher cannot just tag the plate in an unrelaxed situation. He must tag the runner.
• Gonzalez impeded the progress of Langford in the above play, but Type 1 obstruction would not be called on Gonzalez because the ball was within his reach while making a play.

Play No. 2

Look at the following similar play and compare it with the Gonzalez/Langford play and see how the play was handled by D’backs first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in a no touch, no tag play with Eric Fryer, the Cardianls’ batter-runner on June 29, 2017.

In the Goldschmidt/Fryer play, both did the right thing. They both went to the base immediately aware there was no tag (although it appeared Goldschmidt made the tag) and no touch. Because the play was at first base, Goldschmidt could have tagged the base or the batter- runner. Goldschmidt chose to tag the base. This was a valid appeal because it was an unmistakable tag of a base to retire the batter-runner. Goldschmidt was not expected to verbalize the appeal.

In the Gonzalez /Langford play, Gonzalez accidentally touched first base with ball in hand but that would not be an acceptable appeal in a non-relaxed situation. Unlike Goldschmidt, Gonzalez never attempted to make a legitimate appeal on Langford. He did not race to the base to tag Langford which would have actually been an appeal of the missed base. If Gonzalez dove to the base like Goldschmidt did, or tagged the runner, that would suffice as an appeal.

Don’t always look at an appeal as your traditional appeal process. Ex: Runner on first is off with the pitch. The batter hits a line drive to the shortstop who throws to first to double-up the runner. The throw to first base is actually an appeal play. It is an act that unmistakably indicates an appeal to the umpire. A verbal request is not necessary.

The Manager Review Protocol of No Touch, No Tag Plays

If the fielder misses the tag on the runner, and the runner fails to touch the base, but the runner is called out by the umpire, the manager of the offensive team can challenge the call. If the Replay Official determines that the fielder missed the tag, the Replay Official shall disregard the failure of the runner to touch the base and declare the runner “safe.”

If the defensive manager appeals the failure of a runner to touch the base prior to the Crew Chief making contact with the Replay Official and the Replay Official
determines that the runner failed to touch the base, and the fielder failed to make a tag, the runner would be called “out.”

Rich Marazzi

Rules consultant/analyst: Angels, Dodgers, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Rangers, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees, YES, and Chicago Sports Network