It must be pointed out that most baseball leagues do not have the Dead Ball Appeal found commonly in softball. An umpire does well to check the specific appeals section of the rule book for each league he works in.

This past two weeks have been really frustrating. I have counted seven times when I have been asked to make ruling on "appeal plays" and each time something was wrong: we were in a time out, the player just looked at me while he stomped on the bag or even worse, the play was not appealable.

So that we can avoid these embarrassing situations I took a minute to put my personal thoughts down about appeal plays.

When a player asks for an appeal there are six step-by-step things that quickly go through my head. This is my personal six-point checklist. Any violation of an item on this mental list and I will deny the appeal. I am certain other umpires use a similar list or series of steps they go through in granting or denying your team's appeal. Here are mine:

Step One. The ball must be ALIVE

Appeal plays do not have to always start at the rubber either. As long as the ball is alive an umpire can hear the appeal from any fielder on the field. If the ball is dead there is only one way it can be brought back to a "live ball" and that begins with the pitcher, the rubber and usually the catcher.

Lets take this to a few examples.:

a) The batter-runner hits a stand up double but your first baseman thinks he missed first base. You throw the ball to your second baseman who starts the appeal by tagging the runner. Yes, the ball is alive, the appeal did not have to start "from the rubber" We can go to Step Two.

b) After sliding into second the batter-runner asks for "TIME" You know / I know / the crowd knows she missed first base and so you begin an appeal. "Mr. Umpire the ...." The response,, "The ball is dead, nothing can happen when the ball is dead." Now with the crowd yelling at me I wait. You have not lost your opportunity to appeal, you have to make the ball LIVE, and you do this by throwing the ball to the pitcher, who with the catcher ready to receive, steps on the rubber and hears "PLAY", now, step off the rubber legally, backwards with the pivot foot first (please!), and we are off to Step Two.

c) In the bottom of the last inning, with two out, trailing by three runs, the batter hits a grand slam home run, but the runner at third misses home plate! First, don't let your team leave the field! You can return to the field as long as one infielder or the pitcher has not left fair territory. The ball is dead, how can it be made alive again? Rule 5.11. There does not have to be a batter in the box. As soon as the umpire calls "play" you can move to Step Two.

By the way, because the ball is live: Time is not out when an appeal is being made. If the runner on third breaks for home and successfully touches the plate the run scores! Also, in hardball, if you quickly step off the rubber starting with the free foot, forwards or backwards, you can guarantee we'll have to think about a "balk" situation, at which you could lose your appeal.

An appeal can be started from the rubber because the umpire is warned that the "appeal is not to be interpreted as a play or an attempted play." You can add a measure of safety and avoid some arguments by having your pitcher legally disengage the rubber before throwing to the base. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the pitcher, on the rubber, throwing to a base as part of an appeal. Many coaches and umpires misinterpret this rule.

Step Two: Must Be Appealable

1. failing to retouch after a fly ball is caught
2. failing to touch a base, in order, while advancing or returning
3. overrunning a base and failing to return immediately
4. failing to touch home base

Some examples :

a) With a runner on third the batter hits a deep sacrifice fly to center field. The runner does not tag up or tags up early. This is appealable. The appeal will take place at third base or home plate.

b) Two runs score but the first runner missed the plate. The first runner quickly returns to touch the plate (after the second runner) and trots off to the bench. This is appealable because the first runner cannot return to touch after the second scores. (You will appeal by throwing the live ball to home plate.)

c) Runner on first. The batter hits a deep fly ball to left field, in rounding first, before the ball is caught, he passes the runner who is returning to tag up. The ball is not caught. This is not appealable. Whether or not the umpires saw the violation of 7.08(h) is a function of their positioning and judgment. Remember, in a two-man system one umpire has gone out and the other is running to the infield trying to get an angle on the catch and tag up. After the play is over request time and we can discuss it. Odds are if it was not called at the time of the violation it cannot be called now.

Step Three. Must be made at the right time

As an example consider: a runner on first. The catcher attempts to pick off the runner but throws the ball wild into right field. The runner advances to third but misses second base. The defense attempts to get the runner at third but sloppy play again permits the runner slide into home narrowly missing the tag. Can you appeal the miss of second base by R1? YES. The attempt at third base and home plate are part of continuous play. The appeal can take place at second base or at home plate.

Step Four: The appeal must be COMPLETELY APPARENT or VERBAL

Umpires are instructed that an appeal is, under rule 7.10(d) in the Pro book casebook. "a verbal request by the player OR an act that unmistakably indicates an appeal to the umpire." Verbalization is only required when more than one runner has passed the base to which the defender is touching or the original occupant may have left before a catch and one or more runners also passed the base. If only one scenario is possible at the base the umpire can deem this "an unmistakable act of appeal." An example of this situation is a runner diving back to the bag after a line drive has been caught. If the throw beats the runner nothing has to be said to the umpire.

If there could be a question on the appeal then the verbal notice must be specific. With the bases loaded and a home run hit, R1 misses third base. The appeal must note that "the runner from first missed third base" or "number 42 missed third base" Vague descriptions such as "the runner with the black sweat bands" (something the whole team wears) or "one of the runners missed" are not appropriate. Some things are obvious: only one runner on base who leaves early before the fly ball is caught ... "Mr. Umpire, the runner left before the ball was caught." .... will suffice. The appeal contain enough information that the umpire knows with absolute certainty who the appeal is being made on, where the appeal is being made at and what infraction of rule 7.10 is being appealed.

The verbal indication of the appeal can come from any defensive player on the field. As long as the ball is at the right player or base (Step Five) the center fielder can tell you what is being appealed. The verbal portion of an appeal at second does not have to come from the second baseman, it can come from the pitcher, even the right fielder. The verbal portion of the appeal must be made by someone on the field.

Step Five: At the Player or Base

a) Runner standing on third who missed second base. You can appeal by standing on second base with the ball or, better, by tagging the runner with the ball. Why is it better to tag the runner? Because a smart coach, knowing his runner is about to get caught, will send the runner home in an effort to cause confusion, create a play, and maybe score a run from a sure out.

b) Runner crosses home plate and is now on the bench, missed first base. You can now appeal by throwing the ball to first base and making the appeal. Just because they have made it to the bench and the run is up on the board does not mean you have lost your right to appeal. The run can be erased if your appeal is upheld.

c) After a fly ball you have runners on first and third. You wish to appeal that the runner (R2) on third left before the fly ball was caught. You throw the ball to third and tag the runner, just as you get the umpire's attention R1 breaks for second, you throw to second and R2 breaks for home arriving safely. On a quick throw you manage to retire R1 sliding into third, for the second out. Can you still appeal? Yes! Because you commenced the appeal before any of the subsequent plays, and because the umpire is required to recognize that the attempt at an appeal is not an attempted play on the runner, you will probably be given the right make the original appeal. In this case the order of the outs will be: B1, R2, R1.

The bottom line is stay alert as you make an appeal. Make the appeal at the runner unless the runner is on the bench then home plate is maybe the best choice. Finally, make certain the umpire knows you are making an appeal play .... be obvious about it. And pitchers, please step of the rubber, legally, first!!!!!

Step Six: One Time Only

A good umpire will, if needed, ask the crew for assistance before denying your appeal. If your team is unsure about which umpire was covering the base there is nothing stopping you from asking for help. In umpiring systems different plays bring about different base responsibilities. When the base umpire denies your appeal of the "runner leaving first base early" there is no harm in politely asking "would you request help on that play please?" Even in a four or six man crew, when one umpire has gone out to dog the fly ball, you might discover that it was the plate umpire who was observing the tagup at that base. Different crews approach the coverage of bases and tagups in unique formats.

The second case is less recoverable from. You wish to appeal a runner at first base but in doing so throw the ball wild, out of play. You have committed an error in the appeal. Even if you recovered the ball and tried again an umpire would have to deny the appeal. This is the textbook example of attempting a second appeal at the same runner at the same base. Balks can be your undoing here as well.

Umpire Dave Young "Appeal Denied!"

1. Alive? 2. Appealable? 3. Right Time! 4. Proper Runner? 5. Proper Place? 6. One Time!

Still calling them as I see them,

... written August 11, 1996