Overthrows in Minor B Little League Baseball?
Question:In Minor B Little League baseball, a runner may advance only one base on an overthrow. That much I understand. What I don't understand is how this applies to runners other than one for which the overthrow was intended. For example, can the runner who was on first, has already passed second and is heading for third make an attempt for home if the ball was overthrown to first to try and get the batter out at first? The batter has to stop at second by the overthrow rule, but does the first base runner have to stop at third by the same rule?
Answers:
Three Baseball Players that played in the Major Leagues in another Major Sport.?
When I was playing, they made another player on my team stop at third, exactly like your question. The ump said that was how the rule was written.Who is the only player to win the world series, the batting title and a gold glove in the same year?
Little League Baseball rules are essentially the same as professional baseball rules, except for safety rules. In the case of base awards, the rules are identical.All runners get two bases on any thrown ball that leaves the field. It is not a one-base award. So if there is a runner on first, he is to be awarded third base -- not second -- on a thrown ball out of play.
If your Little League does not allow two-base awards, it is in violation of its charter with Little League and faces expulsion from the organization. Your league certainly isn't doing the kids any service by changing the rules on base awards, which are the same at all levels of the game.
Other examples:
Play 1: Runner on first. Batter hits a grounder to the second baseman, who throws the ball out of play trying to get the batter-runner out at first. Ruling: Because it was the first play by an infielder, the bases are awarded based on the position of the runners at the time of the pitch, unless all runners -- including the batter-runner -- had advanced at least one base at the time of the throw (highly unlikely, but possible). The runner on first is awarded third and the batter-runner is awarded second.
Play 2: Runner on first. The batter hits a grounder to the shortstop, who tries to beat the runner from first to second. The runner beats him to second and the shortstop then throws the ball out of play trying to get the batter-runner out. Ruling: The throw was the second play by an infielder, so bases are awarded based on the position of the runners at the time of the throw. In this case, the runner from first is awarded home because he had reached second at the time of the throw. The batter-runner is awarded second, because he had not reached first at the time of the throw.
Note: The time of the throw occurs when the fielder releases the ball, not when the ball actually leaves the field.
Play 3: Runner on first. The batter hits a grounder to the third baseman, who boots it. The runner from first reaches second and the batter-runner reaches first. Frustrated, the third baseman picks the ball up and throws late to first. The ball goes out of play. Ruling: The runner from first (now on second) is awarded home and the batter-runner (now on first) is awarded THIRD. This is because both had advanced at least one base at the time of the throw.
Play 4: Runner on first. The batter hits a pop-up to the second baseman, who drops the ball accidentally. The runner on first had held up, so he's between first and second. The batter-runner rounds first (but doesn't pass the runner). The second baseman picks the ball up and throws the ball out of play while trying to double the batter-runner off first. Ruling: Although both runners had advanced at least one base at the time of the throw, we can't award both runners third base. In this case, the runner from first is awarded third, but the batter-runner can get only second.
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