Originally Posted by
jbooth
The ump is ignorant. You can appeal after a dead ball, you just have to put the ball in play before you can appeal. As you DID. Everybody knows what you were doing, and you did everything right except ONE thing. The pitcher needs to step on the rubber, then you need to wait for the ump to say, "Play", then you step off and state that you are appealing and do it.
And just because you did it while the ball was dead, doesn't negate your right to do it. You just need to properly put the ball in play and do it again. There are only two things that cause you to lose your right to continue to appeal, 1) make a pitch or play before you appeal, or 2) throw the ball into dead ball territiory when you attempt the appeal.
Since you appealed while he considered the ball dead, then it wasn't a pitch or a play. Nothing happens when the ball is dead. So, you didn't lose your right to appeal, and he can't rule on it yet.
Here is text from my book "Baseball Rules in Plain English" ad and below that, is the actual rules;
APPEAL is an act of a fielder in claiming violation of the rules by the offensive team. Such as: batting out of order, failing to retouch after a caught fly or failing to touch a base while advancing or retreating on the bases. Rule 2.00 Appeal, 7.10.
Appeals must be made while the ball is in play (live) and after action has stopped. When the ball is dead, it becomes in play when the pitcher has the ball and is on the rubber and the umpire says, "Play." Rule 5.11.
One appeal may be made on each runner at each base.
Any defensive player who has the ball may make an appeal if the ball is live and action is stopped. If the ball is already live, it is not necessary for the pitcher to have the ball on the mound before making an appeal. If the ball is live, a fielder may make an appeal in any of the following ways:
1. By touching the runner whom they believe committed a base running infraction;
2. Or by touching the base they believe was missed while the runner was advancing;
3. Or by touching the original base that a runner left before a fly ball was caught.
If the umpire has called "Time" or the ball has become dead for any other reason; the ball must be made live before an appeal can be made. The ball is made live by having the pitcher stand on the rubber with the ball in his possession and wait for the umpire to say, "Play." The pitcher or any fielder may then make an appeal. If the pitcher balks before the appeal, all appeals are lost. The pitcher may throw to a base from the rubber to make an appeal, provided he makes no motion associated with the start of a pitch prior to doing this.
In all cases, the fielder must make a verbal appeal to the umpire or complete an act that is unmistakably an appeal. Accidentally touching a base that was missed is not an appeal. A throw to a base to catch a runner who had not retouched is unmistakably an appeal.
Appeals must be made before the next pitch or play. If the fielder makes an appeal after "time" has been called, the umpire should say "put the ball in play and appeal again." Since no runner may advance or be put out while the ball is dead, this is not a play and the defense has not lost their right to appeal after the ball is put in play.
The appeal itself is not a play. A fake throw to hold a runner is not a play. It is a play when a balk is committed during an appeal. It is not a balk if the pitcher throws to an unoccupied base from the rubber for the purpose of making an appeal. Plays that occur during "continuous action" after an infraction do not cancel the defense's right to appeal.
The defense loses their right to appeal when any of the following actions occur:
1. When the throw made in an appeal attempt goes into dead ball territory. When this occurs, no more appeals may be made on any runner at any base. This is an "err" on an appeal and is interpreted to be the same as a play.
2. A balk is committed before or as part of an appeal attempt. (It is not a balk if the pitcher throws to an unoccupied base from the rubber, for the purpose of making an appeal.) N.A.P.B.L. 6.6.
3. A pitch is made to the batter.
4. A play is made that is not part of continuous action.
The actual rules:
7.10 Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when—
(b) With the ball in play, while advancing or returning to a base, he fails to touch each base in order before he, or a missed base, is tagged.
Any appeal under this rule must be made before the next pitch, or any play or attempted play. If the violation occurs during a play which ends a half-inning, the appeal must be made before the defensive team leaves the field.
5.11 After the ball is dead, play shall be resumed when the pitcher takes his place on the pitcher’s plate with a new ball or the same ball in his possession and the plate umpire calls “Play.” The plate umpire shall call “Play” as soon as the pitcher takes his place on his plate with the ball in his possession.
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