Funny things happen in youth baseball and this was a 13 year old Junior League team playing major league rules. Runner on first base only with less than two outs. Pitcher is on the mound and goes into the stretch and never looks at the baserunner. Baserunner runs from first base to second base and is standing on second base before the pitcher makes the pitch. Batter hits a fly ball out to center field and the runner tags up at second base and goes to third base after the catch. I was the manager and I had the pitcher appeal the play at first base. What was the call by the umpire, and why?

The pitcher had his foot on the rubber for several seconds looking at the catcher for a sign and did not look at the runner. By the time he went into the stretch the runner was standing on second base.

He should be out for leaving first early. If the batter had swung and missed, it would've been a steal (How long was that pitcher in his stretch, or how fast is this guy?). But since the batter made contact, he couldn't have left the base he was on without tagging up. He wasn't legally on second yet.

Wrong. Unfortunately, I can't repeat it enough times because of the character limit on comments.

The time of the pitch occurs when the pitcher commits himself to delivering the ball to the plate.

The umpire in question should get a stern lecture. Report It

Love to know. I coach senior Babe Ruth and find some of our umpires rule interpretations entertaining...

if he tagged up he should be safe at 3rd he stole the base before the pitch was made, so hes safe at 2nd then the ball was pitched tagged up and should be safe at 3rd

Runner should be out if tagged. Once the pitcher started his wind up the play is in motion. Even if he tagged 2nd the ball was a pop up and caught.

THe correct call is appeal denied because he was already on second before the pitcher began his pitching motion (setting up in the stretch does not count as the beginning of a pitch because intent can not be established). Runner tags and should be allowed third base.

Now, I wonder and wait to hear what was actually called.

If the pitcher had started his pitching motion before the runner arrived at second base, I believe the runner would be out upon appeal.
If the picher had not started his motion, the runner would be credited with a stolen base and ruled safe upon appeal.
Since you state that the pitcher had gone into the stretch before the runner reached second, I believe the runner is out upon appeal since it was all part of one continuos play.

I agree the runner is safe. He was on second at the time the pitch was made, therefore his next base would be third. If he hadn't reached second before the pitcher released the ball, then he would liable to appeal.

It's difficult to say how the umpire may have ruled.

It looks like the runner should be safe at third.

You stated the runner reaches second before the pitcher "makes a pitch." But that doesn't mean he didn't start his motion. If he had not started the motion, then the runner is safely at second before the pitcher started his pitch, thus not needing to worry about the fly out. If, however, the pitcher had already started some pitching motion before the runner reached second, then that runner was still technically only on first at the time of the pitch, and would need to come back on the caught fly ball (via tagging second on his way to first).

Now, what was the call... and was it correct?? ;-)

There is no appeal at first base because the runner acquired the right to second base before the pitch was thrown. This depends on second base being unoccupied.

The position of a runner is determined by his/her position at the time of the pitch. Advance to third allowed.

Second base was stolen before the pitch. If the runner tagged up after the catch and advanced to third it's okay. Runner on third with two outs.

Don't ask us what the umpire's call was. Ask us what the call should have been.

If the runner had reached second base at the time the pitcher committed himself to pitch, the runner was OK. Appeal denied.

The runner should be out at first. 1 I have a hard time believing from when the ball was pitched the player was already on second base but it's just like a hit and run even if he had the bag stolen as you say and then tagged up the ball was in play once it touched the bat since it was caught the outfielder they should have gone to first because he needed to tag up from the base he was currently at when the ball was hit which was 1st base not second.