I was watching last night Yankees-Phillies game. The situation was as follows:
Philadelphia is up in the bottom of the 11th (tie score, obviously). Abreu was on third, Rolen on first. Lee was the batter. Two outs.
Rolen took second base on defensive indifference. I understand that move on Rolen’s part, since it takes the force play off at second base.
However, on the next pitch, I noticed Rolen leading off second. Why??
There was no way he was going to be able to score. His presence on the basepaths is a liability for the Phillies, not an asset. If Abreu scores, the game is over, Phillies win. If Abreu fails to score (for whatever reason), then the inning is over. There is no way that Rolen can score. That being said, why risk being picked off? Why didn’t he have his foot nailed to the second base bag?
Great question! The only reason that I can think of is that he is putting himself in a better position to be a distraction to Jeter (the shortstop) in case a grounder or line drive is hit to him. You’ll notice that many times, when an easy ground ball is hit, base runners stop between the rolling ball and the fielder (usually a 2nd baseman or shortstop) in order to impede his view of the approaching ball in order to create an error.
I’d go with TV time’s option #4, though Jackknifed has a point. As for risking being picked off, I wouldn’t think that the pitcher would risk a bad throw to second in those circumstances.
[minor nitpick]Philadelphia batting in the bottom of the 11th doesn’t obviously mean that the score is tied – the Yankees could have scored in the top of the 11th.[/minor nitpick]
Yes, JeffB, you are correct. And before someone nitpicks me on it, Yes, Rolen can score on a home run, but it doesn’t make a difference. The Phillies would have won whether he scores on the homer or not.
While it’s true that most pitchers wouldn’t risk a bad throw at that point, there is still no reason for Rolen to be leading off second.
Actually, I kind of agree with TV Time’s 1st and 2nd points as being possible reasons. It could possibly be a distraction to the pitcher if the pitcher felt that signs were being stolen and communicated by the length of the lead.
But I would disagree the final point. Ball players do dumb things, but dugouts are filled with highly experienced coaches and students of the game. And let’s not forget about the 1st and 3rd base coaches. If there was absolutely no other reason to lead, someone would tell the player to remain glued to the base.
So it has to be because of one or a combination of the reasons that we’ve already stated, or something else that we’re still missing. This would be a good question for Tim McCarver.
I think the reason they stop is so they don’t get hit by the grounder. If the runner stopped to intentionally impede a fielder, that would be a hinder and he would be called out.
There’s another possibility not mentioned. There may be a soft grounder to the left side of the infield, where the fielder has no play at either home or first, but may have a play at 3d. Say the pitcher fields it facing 3d. He may get an out there when there is no other play. Of course, it doesn’t matter if the runner on 3d scores before the out, but it’s possible to get the out at 3d before the runner scores when there is no play at the plate.
Not really a possibility. There’s no force on Rolen at second. With first base empty (he had just vacated it) there’s no reason for him to move. He could have sat on the bag. The only way he could have been forced to move is on the next at bat if Lee walks or is hit by a pitch.
The chance of Rolen getting picked off second base in the situation described in the OP are almost zero.
A pickoff at second base is a risky play involving precise timing. In the above situation, there is little reaosn to believe that the reliever and the middle infielders would attempt one. In a pickoff attempt, one of the middle infielders has to leave his position. If the pitcher doesn’t get the sign to throw back, you’ve got a big hole on one side of the infield. If the infielder doesn’t get the sign, the pickoff throw goes into center field and the game is over.
I would think it would be SOP for a runner on 2nd in that situation to take a lead, but not a big one. He knows that he isn’t going anywhere in that situation.
I have never seen the trail runner in a 2nd-3rd situation get picked off. I’ve seen a runner on first get picked off in a bases loaded, two outs situation (it was Rickey Henderson even).
Overall, the pitcher is better to save his concentration on the batter instead of trying to get a low percentage pickoff.
If the runner were to physically impede the fielder it would be an out, however this is not the situation being discussed here. There is no rule prohibiting a runner from obscuring the line of sight of a fielder, and this is what the runner is attempting to do in the case of a grounder through the basepath.
I’d say 90% of the time the runner is leading off in order to distract the pitcher, catcher and shortstop, and possibly to a lesser extent to steal signs. In the unwritten rules of baseball this is the only marginally acceptable condition where a player can do so.
The likelyhood of Rolen getting picked off (remember the pitcher is most likely in the windup in this case) is virtually 0. The pitcher isn’t going to throw to second (risking both a wild throw and letting the other runner steal home) nor is a 2B or SS going to vacate a hole to cover the bag. Compare the odds of that to the odds of there being a grounder to short where he might be enough of a distraction to cause a error or a late throw and it looks like a wise bit of gamesmanship.
BASE PATH - The base path belongs to the runner EXCEPT when a fielder is in the path attempting to field a batted ball or when a fielder is in the path and in possession of the ball. Rule 7.08(b), 7.09(L)
This rule would only apply if the ball is hit slowly and the shortstop needs to charge it and step into the basepath. In that case, the baserunner must allow the fielder to make the play without getting in the way. But since the shortstop, in most cases, stands 10 - 15 feet behind the base path, the runner has the freedom to move along the path as he wishes. And he can stand in between the ball and the shortstop as long as he wishes (in order to be a distraction) so long as he doesn’t come into contact with the ball.
You’ll notice within the text of the rule that you quoted that the 2 cases both involve the fielder actually in the base path. But that is pretty uncommon.
The fielder may start out 10 feet behind the basepath, but he doesn’t stand there and wait for the ball to come to him. He charges it, if he can, and often, altho still behind the runner, is in the basepath.
In other sports, such an act is called a “sight hinder.” In racketball or handball, when a “sight hinder” is called, and if it’s intentional it’s side out. I think an umpire has the discretion to call interference whenever, in his judgment, a runner or batter interferes with a play. Perhaps runners do hesitate to cause a sight hinder, and it’s not called. But that doesn’t mean it cannot be called.
In general, umpires won’t call baserunners out for interference unless they make contact with the fielder or go so far out of the baselines that it’s ridiculous.
A runner sliding into second to break up a double play will usually be called out if the umpire determines that he couldn’t touch the base as a result of his slide.