defending th esqueeze

[Guest Coach Jimmy]

Runner on third base breaks for home, RHP from stretch quickly steps off  rubber and fires ball to catcher, batter makes contact with ball.

What is the call? 

[scrounge]

IF the pitcher steps off as you say, it's not a pitch so this is absolutely batter interference with a thrown ball. If the pitcher doesn't step off, then it's just a batted ball.

[Gfoley4]

7 minutes ago, wolfe_man said:

If ball hit bat, foul ball.  If ball hit runner, dead ball - runner on first.

All depends on if bat or batter made contact - and then was batter in strike zone or in box?

he stepped off. If the batter hits the ball there's going to be an out for interference. I know that if a batter interferes with a passed ball play at the plate, the batter is out if there's 2 outs; R3 is out any other time. I would assume that would be the case here. If the ball hits the batter it's simply nothing because it was a throw, not a pitch.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v13867701/must-c-curious-verlanders-inexplicable-pickoff-play here's a (similar) play. I believe the ball was hit by the ball, but since he was off the rubber it was nothing. Not sure if they ruled this a balk for an illegal pitch or the runner just ended up on second because of the wild throw.

[Sut'n Blue]

Batter interfered with pitcher's throw - not a pitch because pitcher stepped off. If less than two outs, R3 is out. If two outs, batter is out. 

[wolfe_man]

50 minutes ago, Gfoley4 said:

he stepped off. If the batter hits the ball there's going to be an out for interference. I know that if a batter interferes with a passed ball play at the plate, the batter is out if there's 2 outs; R3 is out any other time. I would assume that would be the case here. If the ball hits the batter it's simply nothing because it was a throw, not a pitch.

Very true - I missed the stepped off - read it too fast.  Sorry about that.

 

[White47]

I had this this year in a HS varsity game. I threw my hands up as soon as it happen, processed it(which too a few seconds bc this isn't something you see everyday), pointed to my partner and ask if he step off, then made the call. No argument from anyone, but I did almost call batter out instead of runner. 

[roothog66]

4 hours ago, Gfoley4 said:

he stepped off. If the batter hits the ball there's going to be an out for interference. I know that if a batter interferes with a passed ball play at the plate, the batter is out if there's 2 outs; R3 is out any other time. I would assume that would be the case here. If the ball hits the batter it's simply nothing because it was a throw, not a pitch.

 

http://m.mlb.com/video/v13867701/must-c-curious-verlanders-inexplicable-pickoff-play here's a (similar) play. I believe the ball was hit by the ball, but since he was off the rubber it was nothing. Not sure if they ruled this a balk for an illegal pitch or the runner just ended up on second because of the wild throw.

Interesting this video is here. We had this in a game Saturday and I was going to bring it up here. Ours was very much like this. Runner on third and the pitcher did the same thing only the catcher caught the ball. The umpires decided it was nothing and just called "no-pitch." My argument was that any motion made by the pitcher while not in contact with the rubber that mimics his pitching motion is an illegal pitch and subject to penalty. They did not agree. Since our batter put the next pitch over the left field fence, there was no lingering argument.

[noumpere]

1 hour ago, roothog66 said:

The umpires decided it was nothing and just called "no-pitch." My argument was that any motion made by the pitcher while not in contact with the rubber that mimics his pitching motion is an illegal pitch and subject to penalty.

Both could be correct -- if the umpire judged the motion was a "throw" and not a "motion associated with the pitch."

[Senor Azul]

Since the OP did not specify a rule set, I will answer with a case play from Fed—7.3.5 SITUATION G:

With no outs and F1 in the set position, R3 attempts to steal home. F1 legally steps backward off the pitcher’s plate and throws home. B2 hits the ball. RULING:  Typically, batter’s interference is a delayed dead ball in order to give the defense an opportunity to make an out on the initial putout attempt. Since the batter hit the ball, the defense was not afforded an opportunity to make a play. Therefore, the ball is declared dead immediately. R3 is out because of B2’s interference. (5-1-2a, 7-3-5, 8-4-2l)

And in the video of Justin Verlander pitching against the Oakland A’s, he was charged with a balk (for an illegal pitch with a runner on). The runner was on first base—there was no runner at third. It’s in the box score and play-by-play of the game that can be found at retrosheet.org.