When makeing a double play, the 2nd baseman has ball after throw from shortstop. Does the 2nd baseman always have to touch the second base for the force before throwing to 1st base. It seems alot times the 2nd baseman "misses" the bag altogether?
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Anonymous
ANSWERS: 4
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Yes he does, otherwise it isn't out. But yes, I agree that very often they seem to just step in the vicinity of the base and not actually touch it, and the umpires are very lenient about enforcing this. If the batting team had the right to appeal decisions to TV replay I am sure a large number of so-called double plays would become single outs.
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The answer is not always. Some leagues allow the "in the vicinity rule" for safety purposes. Meaning all you have to do is be near the bag. I play short stop and I rarely step on the bag and stay there to throw to first. I usually come across it so it looks as if you stepped on it and caught the ball at the same time, but most of the time, I just drag my foot across, catch the ball on the other side of the bag, then plant and throw. I never get called for being off the bag. In the majors ... you rarely see them on the bag. They usually straddle it and jump out of the way. And in straddling it, they rarely are actually ON the bag. It's always up to the umpire at the moment to decide if he wants to give leeway for the tag at 2nd. Most umpires agree with the hidden rule of "in the vicinity" to avoid injury. Anyone who plays knows this hidden rule. However, they can ALWAYS call him off the bag if they so choose. Just most of the time, they'd rather have players safe.
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Its called a straddle. Most of the time unless its reallly obvious the umps assume that with a straddle at some point the 2nd baseman touched the bag. Its there to give the 2nd baseman a little protection while completing the double play.
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The actual answer is yes, he is supposed to tag the base. However, all the lee way discussed fits for most levels of play except HS and below. I have never seen the vicinity rule come into play at the lower "basic" levels of play
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