Baseball rules corner: base runners are restrained from circumventing the rules.

GREG COLBRUNN OF THE ARIZONA Diamondbacks hit for the cycle in the D'Backs 10-3 win over the Padres last September 18. If he had listened to teammate Mark Grace, he would have found a new way to complete the cycle by creatively using the rulebook.

In his first three at-bats Colbrunn collected a single, double, and a home run. He homered again in his next trip to the plate. While he was circling the bases, Grace screamed at him (probably in fun) to miss home plate. If he had listened to Grace and the Padres successfully appealed that Colbrunn had failed to touch the dish, he would have been credited with a triple, giving him the prestigious cycle. Colbrunn ignored Grace, however, and touched home plate. And believe it or not, in his fifth at-bat he poked a triple and joined baseball's all-time cycle list. It was remarkably only his 11th career triple in 2,665 career at-bats.

Whatever, Grace triggered new thinking for future generations in pursuit of the cycle--Don't touch home plate and purposely violate 7.10(b).

Such a scenario would create a Catch-22. If the umpire forced the runner to touch home, the opposing manager obviously wouldn't be too happy. So you can forget that idea. On the other hand if the ump does his job by calling the runner out, he is allowing the runner to circumvent the rulebook for the purpose of getting his name into the record book. Any suggestions?

If Colbrunn intentionally missed touching the plate after he hit his second home run, he would not be the first to make a mockery of baseball's playing code.

Germany Schaefer who played for several A.L. teams early in the 20th century was one of the prime offenders responsible for rule 7.08(i) which prohibits a runner from "running the bases in reverse order for the purpose of confusing the defense or making a travesty of the game."

Once while playing for Detroit in a game against Cleveland, Schaefer was on second with teammate Davey Jones on third and Sam Crawford at the plate. Following a pitch, Schaefer dashed back to first hoping to draw a throw from the Cleveland catcher so that Jones could score from third. Unfortunately for Schaefer, the Cleveland backstop did not throw to first.