Here's a tough baseball rules question

[Pavelb1]

First of all you have to have seen the A's walk-off after Joe Nathan commited a two run error.

Now assuming you have....it looks like the lead runner after he slides into third comes off third backwards and doesn't retouch third on his way home! If the Twins had appealed that what in the world would have happened as the winning run was the guy *behind* the guy being appealed on.

If I had to guess...appealing to common sense....the guy would have been out on appeal, the tying run would have been allowed and the guy bunting placed on second. The game would have resumed with one out, tie game, man on second.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2008_08_30_minmlb_oakmlb_1&mode=wrap

[ohms_law]

This is covered in the rules:

7.08
(d) He fails to retouch his base after a fair or foul ball is legally caught before he, or his base, is tagged by a fielder. He shall not be called out for failure to retouch his base after the first following pitch, or any play or attempted play. This is an appeal play;
Rule 7.08(d) Comment: Runners need not “tag up” on a foul tip. They may steal on a foul tip. If a so-called tip is not caught, it becomes an ordinary foul. Runners then return to their bases.

and:
7.12
Unless two are out, the status of a following runner is not affected by a preceding runner’s failure to touch or retouch a base. If, upon appeal, the preceding runner is the third out, no runners following him shall score. If such third out is the result of a force play, neither preceding nor following runners shall score.

So, yea, you're analysis is almost correct. On a successful appeal there would have been 1 out, 1 run scored (tie game), and Sweeney would be on second.

[gRYFYN1]

Watching it, it is reasonable to say that was the way he stood up and ran home.
Thats all he did stand up and run home. the rule dosnt state that a player must leave 3rd base in an area between 3rd and home.