Whatever the reason, the cognoscenti know the runner goes to — third.

The interpretations are:

• An "abrupt turn" to an occupied base is a play.
• "Casually walking toward a runner" is a play.
• A "feinted" throw is a play.

Was that a groan I heard from an OBR umpire? No, it was my grunt the first time I read those interpretations.

Who was responsible? In the old days when the FED was in Kansas City, everyone knew who made the rule interpretations. It was Brad Rumble. You either liked him or you hated him: There was no middle ground. But now, who knows? The BRD uses B. Elliot Hopkins as its "interpreter" because he's the editor of their baseball books, but he might be innocent of the charge.

Continued...