I just read a review of the new book titled Crazy '08, which discusses the year 1908 in professional baseball. The reviewer, George Will, lists some of the oddball highlights of the year that, in the book author’s opinion, qualify it as “the greatest year in baseball history.”
I don’t want to get into that debate, but I do want to ask about one of those curious highlights. Apparently someone “stole” first base. Quoting Mr. Will:
“A runner on first stole second, hoping the runner on third would score on the throw to second. But the catcher did not throw. So on the next pitch the runner on second ran back to first. Then he stole second again.”
Baseball, very cleverly, uses the concept of “making a travesty of the game”. That way, if someone does something that is really bizarre, the umpire can rule that they were making a travesty of the game and can call them out. It helps the umpires make a legal ruling on anything that might happen that the rule makers never thought of or isn’t specifically covered in the official rules.
And I believe Rule 7.08 (i) was put in place in response to Schaefer’s (legal) steal of first.
Notice that the rule addresses “legal possession” – a baserunner who has failed to touch a base (and therefore “legally possess” it) may make an effort to correct that error, and of course the defense may capitalize on the fact and put him out by tagging him or the base, this being an appeal play.
That’s correct; it’s either a wild pitch, a passed ball, or an error depending on circumstances.
I’ve always felt Rule 7.08(i) was a cop-out, with the weasel words “for the purpose of confusing the defense or making a travesty of the game”. Schaefer arguably had neither purpose; he was attempting to draw a throw, and risking being put out in order to allow another runner to advance. If baseball wants to ban running the bases in reverse order, it should just ban it, without trying to read the offender’s mind.