Steal of Home With a Few Other Things Happening

[tankmjg24]

High school summer league - FED rules. Bases are loaded with 2 outs and a 2-2 count on the batter.  F1 is working out of the windup, and as soon as he starts his motion to the plate R3 takes off to steal home.  Defensive coach starts yelling "runner, runner".  F1 continues with his normal motion and delivers the pitch.  Now this is where things get interesting. The batter (who is right handed) slides his right hand up the barrell of the bat and bails out of the batter's box in the direction of the third base dugout.  F2 stands up and steps forward to receive the pitch from F1.  Both occurred almost simultaneously, with the batter making his move maybe a second before F2.  Batter's box is non existent, however had one been present he would have probably had both feet out by the time F2 received the pitch.  I am not sure exactly where he ended up as I was focusing on the pitch, F2, and the advancing R3, but I lost him in my vision.  F2 is standing on top of home as he receives the pitch somewhere around the middle of his body.  I had no idea if the pitch was a ball nor a strike as all I could see was F2's back, so I called ball.  F2 attempts to tag R3, however R3 slides in safely before the tag.  In my short amount of time , I quickly decided to allow things to stand as is.   

 

Defensive manager comes out to argue the call.  His first argument is that the batter should be out for stepping out of the box.  (For the record, he was not arguing that a strike should have been called and the batter being out due to it being the third strike, but that if a batter steps out of the box he is automatically out.)  I explained to him that there is no batter's box to tell exactly where the batter was, and that I was trying to focus on the pitch, the runner, and his catcher in addition to the batter.  He accepted this and then wanted to argue that the pitch was belt high right down the middle of the plate and should have been called a strike.  I explained to him that I could not see where the pitch was as his catcher stood up and stepped forward completely blocking me out on the pitch.  He grumbled a bit but eventually went back to his dugout.

 

So, from the description above, did I blow the call or get it right?  From my viewpoint, one could have called the ole auto strike plus strike on the batter, or they could have called catcher's obstruction, or they could have ruled nothing as I chose to do.  I also think I handled the manager rather well too. 

 

Thoughts? 

[hogsfan787]

I think you have the rare Catchers interference/ Catchers Balk... I don't have the FED rule book in front of me but it shouldn't be too different from the OBR rule on it.  IMHO I think the batter is just trying to avoid interfering with the play so I would not have been considering anything with him. 

 

7.07
If, with a runner on third base and trying to score by means of a squeeze play or a steal, the catcher or any other fielder steps on, or in front of home base without possession of the ball, or touches the batter or his bat, the pitcher shall be charged with a balk, the batter shall be awarded first base on the interference and the ball is dead.

 

"Time! That's Interference! (Point each runner to his new base) Batter to first!

[mjr_2013]

I stopped reading the story once the catcher stepped on the plate before he had the pitch (not really, but nothing else mattered).

 

I don't care if the batter jumps out of the box and starts doing an irish jig, It's a balk, score the run, give the batter first... jblopez has your rule reference

[Jocko]

Lock thread

[Larry in TN]

Does FED have a rule that a batter is out if he steps out of the batter's box?  In OBR/LL isn't it only if he hits the ball with a foot completely out of the box?

[JaxRolo]

Does FED have a rule that a batter is out if he steps out of the batter's box?  In OBR/LL isn't it only if he hits the ball with a foot completely out of the box?

NO

[JaxRolo]

I stopped reading the story once the catcher stepped on the plate before he had the pitch (not really, but nothing else mattered).

 

I don't care if the batter jumps out of the box and starts doing an irish jig, It's a balk, score the run, give the batter first... jblopez has your rule reference

+1

 

You made too many assumptions on this play and:

1. You didn't need to cause it didn't matter.

2. Some of those assumptions were completely incorrect.

[Mike Prince]

I stopped reading the story once the catcher stepped on the plate before he had the pitch (not really, but nothing else mattered).

 

I don't care if the batter jumps out of the box and starts doing an irish jig, It's a balk, score the run, give the batter first... jblopez has your rule reference

 

Why is the batter getting first base on ball 3?

 

​Sorry, disregard my dumb post.....

[tankmjg24]

Thanks for the responses. 

 

I was not certain with two violations occurring (batter jumping out of the box and catcher stepping forward onto home) which penalty would be enforced. 

 

So it seems that  you ignore the batter and enforce the obstruction on the catcher.  

 

I do have one additonal question and hopefully it is allowed to toss in a new scenario in the middle of my current thread.  If not I apologize in advance.  If the catcher would not have stepped on home, in my original scenario how does one judge where the batter is?  Again, with the pitch, catcher, and runner all crashing to the plate I lost where the batter was in my viewpoint.  I do not see how you can keep an eye on the batter and everything else, but I do not see how you can enforce the strike + strike on the batter for him stepping completely out unless you actually see it.

 

[JaxRolo]

The batter jumping out is not a violation!

[Mike Prince]

And not to be nit-picky, but what you have here is catcher's interference, not obstruction.  He interfered with the batter on this play by getting on the plate (and it does not matter where the batter is in this situation - @JaxRolo correctly states there is no infraction on the batter here nor is he relevant in any way to the play), there was no obstruction of the runner.

 

To answer the other question posted, if the catcher had not reached out over the plate, you would have nothing here and R3 is safe at home in the OP as described.

[Aging_Arbiter]

Tank, look at it this way to think....."What batter?".......Slow looping late (or no) breaking curve ball, and the batter bails.  Do you have a penalty there?  No.  The batter HAS TO BE IN THE BOX for the pitcher to pitch.  After that, he can bail w/o penalty.

[grayhawk]

Lots of good responses here, but I wanted to clean up a couple of things.  Remember, the OP said FED rules, so:

 

1.  It IS considered Catcher's Obstruction, not interference in FED.  Semantics, I know.

2.  It is NOT a balk on this play in FED.  That's an OBR and NCAA rule.

 

So, the correct ruling is:  Catcher's Obstruction.  Batter awarded first.  Runners who were stealing, or those forced, move up a base.  Since bases were loaded, then everyone moves up.

 

Is it the right ruling?  Maybe, but I refer back to a post by MidAmUmp where he states that it shouldn't be automatic just because F2 took the pitch on the plate.  With the batter bailing, common sense and fair play may dictate otherwise:  http://umpire-empire.com/index.php/topic/53347-osuou-stealing-home-video/?p=169913