If a player serves as courtesy runner for the catcher in one inning and for the pitcher in a later inning, which statements about this arrangement are true?

• A. This is legal.
• B. This is not allowed.
• C. Baker would be an illegal substitute when he serves as the courtesy runner for the pitcher.
• D. B and C.

Answer: (D)

Courtesy runners exist to keep the game moving for the catcher or the pitcher when those players must move on to bat again, but there are limits on who can be used and how often. A player who has already participated in the game as a baserunner generally cannot be used again as a courtesy runner for a different player later in the game. That means having the same player serve as courtesy runner for the catcher in one inning and then for the pitcher in a later inning isn’t allowed. In this situation, the named player would already have run for the catcher, so using him as the pitcher’s courtesy runner would make him an illegal substitute. Therefore, this arrangement isn’t allowed, and the player would be an illegal substitute when serving as the courtesy runner for the pitcher. To avoid this, teams should use different courtesy runners for the catcher and the pitcher or refrain from using courtesy runners for one of them.