Richvee

What do we do with the glove or gear after the game? Just give it back? Also wondering what a “secure area” would be on some fields.

I would also think if they didn’t want the double strike left live, it would (should) read something like “One strike is called on the pitch, and a second strike added for stepping out of the box, the ball is dead” or in the dead ball table. The ball is dead when…a penalty strike is called after a pitch.

The way I read it all, the order would be reversed from the way you’re seeing it. One strike on the batter, he steps out first (penalty strike 2) THEN the pitch is delivered. (Strike 3 ball is live). And yes…. Situation H would be a lot more helpful if they made the count 2-1.

So teach your runner to veer towards 3B and not run straight into the OF. That's what I've seen more often than not on these plays anyway.

I'll buy that. That IS a rule that applies to the situation. (even though there's other situations where fielding a pitched ball is differentiated from fielding a thrown ball) As long as I have something better than "There's no rule so it's legal" to explain a call. Again, there IS a rule. It states specifically what is umpire interference.

We have rules for almost every kind of interaction with the batter, or batter runner and catcher around the plate...On D3K's, on a pitch when the the batter remains a batter and the catcher needs to gather a misplayed ball, on a batted ball when he becomes a batter runner. Ball four should fall into one of these categories, and I don't think it should be arbitrary as to which one. All I'm saying is "there's no rule so it's nothing" doesn't convince me on this play.

casebook 6.2.4 sit H & I says otherwise

I think we’re the only ones on this side of the aisle. The majority says we’re wrong, and the interference needs to be intentional. OK. That’s fine, but I’m really not happy with the explanation of “there’s no rule that says this is interference on ball four”

Rule specifically states ball is live. Hypothetically, Batter can step out, pitcher can deliver a ball over the backstop, and BR would be awarded 1B.

Brian Debrauer gives a lot of info in his double first base presentation. Off line throws, heightened awareness by plate umpire, etc. It's probably the most informative piece in the whole clinic.

While the rule doesn't mention plays where the runner would be avoiding a collision, the clinic did dive deeper into the rule and gave this interpretation.

Patrick is doing a fantastic job. Working with Referee Magazine now as well. I'm hoping he can turn Umpire Classroom into Nationwide FED video updates and interpretations along the lines of NCAA platform.

You are aware this play has an R2 advancing on the catcher’s misplay of the pitch, right?

Hard to tell if the slide was late and there was contact prior to a leg and buttocks on the ground. That would make it an illegal slide. Also hard to tell if F4 was off to the side of the bag and contacted ( violation) or on top of the bag. (Legal contact. ) Sliding through the bag is only a violation if the contact is beyond the bag.

OK. So the consensus is this is nothing. I’ve been convinced

That would be a cheap bet. House is paid in full. But your point is well taken. Especially at some of the places you and I will be this spring.

Someone let me know if I'm wrong , but I believe same as NCAA. (It's amazing I do virtually no games under OBR now. All FED for high school and tourneys and NCAA.)

And what's your rule backup for that? If we're using has to be intentional, we can point to D3K for a FED game. What do we point to as the reason for it needs to be intentional for NCAA? I can't buy "Intentionally interferes with a throw".

In FED the D3K interface needs to be intentional. NCAA, any hindrance by the BR kills it and the BR is out.

Playing devils advocate because I really don’t know what is the correct call here, or if it would vary by code. Given that NCAA says on a D3K, if the batter runner “clearly hinders F2’s attempt to make a play on the ball, he’s out.” Would you have an out on the BR in NCAA? If not, what would be your rational for a “that’s nothing” call here?

I sent mine in last time. It was a needed adjustment. I’ll get through this year counting two seconds. Next year the device should be all but obsolete with all divisions required to have visible clocks.

However this isn’t interference with a thrown ball. It’s with a catcher’s fielding. He's a runner. Agree. So this isn’t BI. it’s not a batted ball, so this isn’t tangle:untangle It’s not a D3K. So “BR is out if he clearly hinders the catcher” doesn’t necessarily apply.

Granted. But pretty irrelevant on this play.

It’s ball 4 . How can you obstruct a guy taking an awarded base?

And herein lies the problem. We’ve got rules for D3K, batter interference, but really nothing that explicitly applies to a miss played ball 4. I tend to agree we need intent to have anything here. However, any cite we use - no matter how we rule- has a hole in it.