flanagan (09/07/82)
The problem was this: The Sox are at home and lead the Yankees by a run after six innings. With menacing clouds hovering over the ballpark, New York takes the lead in the top of the seventh with a pair of homers. In the bottom of the inning, Greg Luzinski wallops the ball over the fence just as the clouds burst. Since the game is going to be called, should he stop at third (or skip a base intentionally) so the score reverts to the last completed inning (Sox win) or is he obliged to take all four bases (tie game)? Did the fact that he hit a homer keep his team from winning the game? Answer: Several years ago, if the game was tied in the bottom half of an inning (after five or more innings), the game stood as played. Then Luzinski's homer **would** have kept the Sox from winning. The rules have been changed to cover this situation, so that a player has no incentive to stop short at third or miss touching a base intentionally. The score reverts to the last completed inning, and the Sox win the game. If the Sox had been tied or behind going into the inning, and then took the lead, then the game would stand because the Yankees did have their chance in the top of the inning. Jim Flanagan ihuxo!flanagan