Home Runs and Running Around the Basepaths

by user Alex Holowczak

I was reading the heated debate about walk-off Home Runs on this site, when something came to my mind.

Someone suggested being too fat to run all the way around.

And then I thought... why do they ever run around the bases?

After all, if a slugger hits it out of the park, then what is the point of running all the way around. He can just walk to the dugout, as he would in a walk-off Home Run.

As soon as it's out of the park, everyone obviously knows it's a Home Run, so why bother running?

Is it a rule, that says you have to run, or do players do it so they can celebrate, and give the crowd time to applaud them.

N.B. Fair enough if they are already half-way to second if it was a high fly-ball Home Run, I have a problem with a batter standing there, posing in position for the cameras, KNOWING it will be a Home Run, and then eventually setting off on his run.

Date
Wed 05/17/06, 8:24 am EST