Expert: Andrew Senger - 5/15/2009

Question
a player is forced to run from 2nd base to third on a ground ball.  the ball is fielded by the third baseman 2 or more feet in front of third facing toward home.  the fielder looks over his shoulder at the runner, makes no attempt to make a tag on the runner who is on a path to touch the part of the bag closest to left field, and throws to first.  on appeal the umpire called the runner out for running outside the "base path" between 2nd and 3rd.  was this a correct call?

Answer
Daniel,

If the play happened exactly as you mentioned, the runner should not have been called out. When a fielder is attempting to tag a runner, the runner is allowed three feet on either side of a straight line from their current location to the bag they are advancing to.

If this runner was running to the right side of the bag, it would be odd to see them outside the three-foot running lane.