In Baseball, when you have a runner on a base, and less than 2 outs, and the hitter hits a very high and long flyball, why does the runner on base not advance to the next base – They Look Like they’re contemplating, but never go even If there is plenty of time?

Question

When the hitter hits the ball high and long for a fly out.
Why does the runner not run to the next base?

In: 2

Answer 1

Flyballs are relatively very easy to catch before they hit the ground.

When a fielder catches the ball before it hits the ground, the baserunners need to return to their bases before they can try running again.

So, when a batter hits a long fly, the baserunners (or their base coaches) hesitate and try to determine if any fielders are going to be able to catch it before it hits the ground.