If a batter hits a walk-off home run, but is mobbed by teammates as he nears home plate, and it cannot be verified whether he actually touched home plate or not - does it still count?
Don’t know about this case. If it was fan interference the umps can allow the run.
He needs to touch home plate for the run to count
The umps will make sure he touches the base, and the rest of the team knows that it has to happen for the run to count.
Here is the videoof Travis Ishikawa hitting a walkoff home run to win the NLCS last year. Note that the game was tied and the Giants had 2 runners on base, so technically Ishikawa’s run wasn’t needed; once he touched first base he could have headed straight to the clubhouse. Nevertheless, if you watch the video you’ll see the umpire in amongst the players crowding home, making sure that he touched the plate.
I suppose if the umpire really couldn’t tell he’d have to make a judgement call…but I don’t think that happens. The umpire has one and only one job at that point, and he makes sure it gets done. If you look closely at the video (at about the 0:20 mark), you can see that the players are mostly gathered behind the plate, leaving him a relatively clear path from third; and at about the 2:55 mark you can see that in addition to the umpire and the runner, at least one of the players (and I believe 2 or 3 others) is also looking down at the plate to make sure he makes contact.
That’s why you’ll always see the team cluster around home plate after a walk-off homer - if the batter doesn’t touch 'em all, he doesn’t score the run. (By comparison, if a batter hits a walk-off single, he’ll often be mobbed as soon as he rounds first.) Even in cases when the batter’s run doesn’t matter, his teammates will always celebrate at home plate because dammit, the guy hit a home run and he deserves to have it reflected in his numbers. Plus, why celebrate a walk-off single or double when you can celebrate a WALK-OFF HOMER!
As a fun side note, in Suburban Plankton’s clip, you’ll notice that as Ishikawa is running from 2nd to 3rd base, he has to wave one of his teammates out of the way. That teammate is Jake Peavy, who has notoriously poor eyesight and didn’t actually realize that Ishikawa hit it out of the park. Otherwise he wouldn’t waited at home plate with the rest of the team. In my favorite play of the 2014 postseason, that’s my favorite little moment. Although Jon Miller’s hilariously incredulous call (“IT’S TRAVIS ISHIKAWA…?!”) is a close second.
Not always.
I know it was within the cite that Telemark posted but I’m surprised no one has linked to the most famous example. Or maybe I’m just old and no one remembers.
That’s a case of the 4.09b exception where the fans interfered.
“Rule 4.09(b) Comment: An exception will be if fans rush onto the field and physically prevent the runner from touching home plate or the batter from touching first base. In such cases, the umpires shall award the runner the base because of the obstruction by the fans.”
The case in the OP specified the interference was from his own teammates.
As I recall it, the umpires came around later and accompanied Chambliss to the plate and had him touch it after the crowd dispersed.
Would umpires ever say, “You strayed too far off the baseline while celebrating - you’re out?”
Not in this case. Celebrating and running for your life are distinct. As it turned out, the plate had been stolen by the time Chambliss came back to touch it, so he touched were it was.
You are right he did specify that. However you are wrong that it is an example of Rule 4.09(b). It was an example of Rule “Let’s use some common sense and not call him out he was running for his life.” 4.09(b) was added after and because of that incident which is why it is referred to as the Chambliss Rule.
Aha! Thank you.
Running out of the baseline is only a problem if it’s to avoid a tag (7.08(a) (1)). If no one is trying to tag a runner he can go anywhere he likes.
Not exactly. 7.08(a)(2) specifies that a runner is also out if “after touching first base, he leaves the baseline, obviously abandoning his effort to touch the next base;”. If you head to the clubhouse, one can reasonably assume that you have abandoned your effort.
(This obviously doesn’t apply to the Chambliss situation.)