In baseball, most people think tie goes to the runner, but many believe the rule book states otherwise. Rule 6.05j says that the batter must reach base before the ball, not later nor at the same time. Rule 7.08e says the fielder must either tag the player or touch the base while in possession of the ball before the runner gets there, not at the same time nor after he touches base. This is obvious a conflict in the rule book, a paradox, as you cannot ignore either rule.

The real problem here is that a batter cannot become anything but a runner if he hits a fair ball or a 3rd strike is missed, so reserving a right to a player as a batter that he can’t use now as a batter & can’t use later as a runner (which is the crux of the game, to be a batter who becomes a runner), is a paradox and at the very least an unconscionable rule. This rule should be discussed & amended to settle it once & for all. I for one feel the tie should go to the runner as they are the disadvantaged entity in this scenario, being that getting a hit in only 3 out of every 10 ABs is considered excellent.

If you watch enough MLB games, you’ll see that in virtually every case where it’s a tie, the umpire calls the batter/runner out & replay doesn’t overturn it.