TC3

I see what you're saying. If defense successfully appeals, the umpire removes the run on the appeal. The defense is not required to make a protest after an appeal to have the run removed. I got it. Thanks!

1 more... Cracks me up too much. All these clowns telling me I'm making SH*# up. Turns out it's been discussed and argued at LL Congress, etc. LMFAO. See ya.

Still here. I'll break my word and post one more reply. Couple of posts up, taylor reports that: As a new umpire, how am I supposed to know that history? I saw a situation, and asked a question about it. Six or eight guys replied with dimeaning attitude, condescending comments, and no help at all. Then one guy sez - Nope, it's already been discussed and argued for years, and has been decided at league levels that there is no penalty, etc, etc. Okay. Thanks! For the record - if someone asks a simple question and you are able to provide a simple answer, just toss out the simple answer if you feel like it. If you can't provide a simple answer, you're allowed to remain silent. If you choose instead to go with the insulting condescending line of drivel, you are in fact an old woman. All you old women shut your mouths already. Cheese and RICE.

Thanks, I think I've got it. Situation 1 above wouldn't exist if the right call was made originally. In situation 2, is it necessary for the defense to 1st execute a proper appeal play for the 4th out at B3 if they want to have the run removed? Or could they just protest that the runner failed to tag up?

If a player is taught he can distract the catcher by waving the bat around right up to the last second before a pitch, and the player decides to do it, I think you're wrong. We agree that it's crap. It shouldn't be a part of baseball, especially at Majors and Juniors level. Kids should be taught to respect the game, not to play crap-ball. My thinking is that if there are grounds for a 2-out penalty, it should be applied to strongly discourage this type of behavior. Your thinking is bean ball? I'm still curious if there are other opinions out there. So I'll check back here tomorrow or the next day, but I'm done posting on this thread. Thanks.

I'm gonna try another question. R2, R3, 1 out. Batter hits a low fly between F7 & F8. Runners leave immediately. oops. F7 makes a nice running catch and then throws directly to B2, causing the runner from B2 to be out for failure to tag up. R3 arrived home before the catch at B2 for the 3rd out. But he failed tag up at B3. If he had tagged up, there's no way he would have made it home before the 3rd out. Scorekeeper sez: "Did that run count?" Ump (me): "No." When I said "no", I wasn't thinking about the specific rule that allows a run to count if it occurs before the 3rd out (non force). Rather, I was thinking - "Didn't tag up. It can't count." But I can't find a specific rule to support my decision. All the fielders entered their dugout, and the opposing team took the field, therefore too late for a protest. However, the offensive coach came over and asked me why the run didn't count. I said "didn't tag up". He shrugged and walked away. Was I right? I see a couple of possible variations on this situation that might come up in the future: 1 - suppose the offensive coach makes a timely protest to have the run counted because the run scored before a non-forced 3rd out. Does failure to tag up preclude the run from counting? What if the defensive coach sees this protest happening before his players have left the field, and his players then throw to B3 for the 4th out on appeal? Does that affect the ruling for the run scoring? 2 - suppose the umpire had answered the scorekeeper "Yes", then the defensive coach had protested? Does the run count or not? Is the answer dependent on whether the defense executed a timely and effective "4th out" appeal at B3 before the making the protest? Thanks.

No I didn't. You're quoting out of context (a favored activity in mainstream media these days, but not necessarily intelligent behavior). In the context of the OP, it is not incorrect to say that any action by an offensive player that is adjudged willful and deliberate interference with a fielder is a 2-out penalty, as opposed to the 1-out penalty imposed for "not-deliberately-intentional" interference. Nowhere did I say that there is a specific rule against a batter intentionally distracting a catcher by waving the bat excessively in front of the catcher's face, or reaching to hit the catcher's mitt during the swing to attempt to draw a defensive interference call. If there were such a rule, I wouldn't have asked the question. 7.09a says it is interference if the batter hinders the catcher in an attempt to field the ball. That's all it says. As I stated in the OP, this generally applies to batter interfering with a fielder (catcher or pitcher) attempting a play on R3 stealing home. The question was whether it might also apply to a batter waving the bat in front of the catcher to hinder his ability to field a pitch. It's a reasonable question. And it even grows a little when you consider that, IF it is interference, AND IF it is deliberate, there is possible justification for a 2-out penalty. Brian didn't like my question and told me to shutup. I made fun of him. Hokie didn't like that and accused me of being "like a player or coach". He's correct. Players and coaches are humans involved in baseball. Me too. Hokie wanted to know why I'd toss a 12 year old boy for deliberately hitting another 12 year old boy with a baseball bat. My only response to that is: "Hokie - Why are you involved in kids sports at all?" BTW - If I get to 30 posts here, it will take more than a year. Don't sweat it. Taylor sez you only get a 2nd out if it's interference on the 3rd strike. I haven't seen that LL rule, but I'll look for it. There's one man's opinion. Thanks. Whew! Guess I got lucky! Nothing worse than punitive Times New Roman characters hurling thru space. Lighten up, all of you.

Hey! Thanks for playing. I didn't say there was such a rule. But there is certainly a set of rules prohibiting offensive interference with any fielder. It includes words such as "member of the team at bat" and "interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders, or confuses". This stuff is in the rule book. You should read one sometime. My questions are straightforward. Is it reasonable to apply penalty for intentional interference to this type of activity? Your inability to understand my query is your problem, not mine. If you don't have an answer to a question, you are allowed to not speak. Anyone else? Thanks.

Hey - you're right! Let me re-phrase that... What I meant was... an intentionally reaching swing to hit the mitt during a forward swing of the batt. I only know about this because I've been told about a Dad here who did it for years when he was playing, and the rumor is that the Dad's kid may try it. I'll be calling some games the kids is playing in. Anyway, with that correction, how woul dyou guys answer my original questions? FWIW - if I can, I want to sting him for 2 outs if he intentionally distracts with the bat. If he does that swing trick, I intend to toss him. Thanks.

+3 Mr Umpire. Thanks!

Batter interference is usually when a batter interferes with the catcher on a play on R3 coming home. If less than 2 outs, runner is out. If two outs, batter is out. Another type of batter interference is the rare batter (usually a catcher himself) who intentionally waves his bat around in front of the catcher in order to to distract the catcher to hinder his ability to catch the pitch. OR, he may take a reaching slow-speed backswing just before the pitch to hit the catcher's mitt to try to obtain a defensive interference call. I know these are rare, but it's likely I will see it this year from one kid. As the umpire, if you adjudge this action to be intentional (willful or deliberate) by the batter, then the penalty for it is two outs. If there is a base runner - would you call both the batter and a runner out? If there are multiple runners, would you get the one nearest the plate? Thanks!

Thanks again to all. Lots of good info here. As many have said here - IFF is a judgment call. LL rules state "fly" and "ordinary effort". LL rules define "fly" as a batted ball that goes "high" in the air in flight. So in the right conditions, if it's adjudged "high" and can be caught with "ordinary" effort, it's an IFF. I'm particularlry grateful for the multiple suggestions to consider the batted ball in the context of the protection offered by the rule. If the fly ball is such that the infielder would be able to easily turn the DP if they wanted to, it must be an IFF. Regarding the blooper shot, for me personally, noumpere's suggestion is perfect. Again - thanks to all.

Got it. Thanks to all.

Thanks again for the replies. Lot's of good advice, and I'm grateful for it. Last year was my 1st year. Under conditions for infield fly... I saw a 25'-30' straight-up fly ball that landed equidistant from F1, F2, F3, pretty close to the foul line. I didn't call infield fly because it wasn't catchable with ordinary effort by any of those fielders. That one is still debated around here. Twice I saw bloopers that were 8' to 12' high at peak elevation, lots of backspin, hit directly out to F4 or F6. One I called Infield Fly. The other I didn't. I don't know how to call the next one. I've umpired for 1 year, and seen that blooper shot twice already. It's not a line drive. It's a blooper, hit directly to a fielder. I'm grateful for the feedback, and I completely understand the comments and suggestions from each reply already posted. But my question stands. Are you guys calling that blooper an Infield Fly or not?

Thanks for the replies. I'm still seeking a firmer basis for judgment. A line drive is sharp and direct. A towering 40' fly ball is obviously a fly ball. 8' is the height of your ceiling at home. A soft blooper that has a peak elevation of 8' is not a line drive. Is it a fly ball? If the infield-fly conditions were present and the 8' blooper were hit directly to an infielder, would you call Infield Fly? If not, it has to be because a blooper isn't a fly ball. Hence my question: Approximately where is the cutoff that distinguishes between blooper and fly ball? I know this isn't in the rule book. For LL Majors, where are you experienced guys drawing a line between low blooper and fly ball? Thanks.