Quote:
Originally Posted by Ragnar
Yes, that is what I am saying. If it's common practice it is what to be expected. Or else he would have touched the bag. You don't see any first basemen do that, why? Because if their foot is not on the bag the runner is safe. If that were the case at 2nd in a double play, they would make sure they touched the bag.
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So where does that "neighborhood" extend, then? 3 inches? 6 inches? Two feet? Why require him to go near the bag at all if he doesn't want to be bothered?
Again, the point of the neighborhood rule, and the reason it generally gets called in favor of the fielder, is that it's dangerous for the shortstop to stand on the bag with a runner bearing down on top of him, so if he makes a motion towards the bag while trying to get out of the way of the runner, the umpire will generally give him the benefit of the doubt in regards for his safety if he gets somewhere close to the bag. That's the neighborhood call. None of those things applied to Aybar, so I can't fathom why anyone would expect the umpire to give him the benefit of the doubt there.