Runner interference?

[conbo61]

Situation in tonight's game.  HT at bat, R1 & R2.  I am on the plate.

 

Batter hits ground ball to F6.  R2 starts toward 3rd, but stops (in my judgment as well as my partner) to avoid getting hit by the ball.  F6 is playing behind the runner.  HT coach comes out as he wants an interference call.  His claim was that R2 intentionally shielded F6.

 

Did we get it right?

 

 

[Mike Prince]

Sounds like you did.

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[maven]

You don't mention any hindrance of F6. Trying to "shield" a fielder is not in itself an infraction: there must be actual hindrance.

 

OTOH, R2's attempt to avoid getting hit by the ball does not preclude the possibility that he hindered F6, which would be INT despite his intention to do otherwise.

[conbo61]

F6 ended up booting the ball and he was CLEARLY behind R2.

[maven]

F6 ended up booting the ball and he was CLEARLY behind R2.

 

OK, and in your judgment did F6 boot it because R2 hindered his play? IOW, did you excuse R2 because he was trying not to interfere?

[conbo61]

 

F6 ended up booting the ball and he was CLEARLY behind R2.

 

OK, and in your judgment did F6 boot it because R2 hindered his play? IOW, did you excuse R2 because he was trying not to interfere?

 

 

More towards he was trying not to get hit with a batted ball.  I cannot say for certain that he knew exactly where F6 was behind him.  Contact with F6 was not going to happen unless F6 charged the ball.

[maven]

More towards he was trying not to get hit with a batted ball.  I cannot say for certain that he knew exactly where F6 was behind him.  Contact with F6 was not going to happen unless F6 charged the ball.

You're not answering the question. Contact with the fielder is not required. The runner's intent is irrelevant. No matter what he was trying to do — it doesn't matter whether he was trying to interfere or not to interfere — if he hindered the fielder because of where he was on the field, then he is guilty of INT.

 

It's your judgment call, and I'm not trying to tell you that you got it wrong. But if you don't know what the question is, you're not likely to arrive at the right answer.

[conbo61]

Understood.  From that perspective, we could have also had interference. 

[Richvee]

I'm very uncomfortable on this type play judging if the runner hindered an F6 on such a play. Let's say R2 is running full speed towards 3rd. He and the ball cross paths in front of F6. R2 jumps over the ball, (no contact with the ball) F6 boots it. Is R2 guilty of INT just because he and the ball crossed paths in front of F6? I understand if R2 deliberately  slows down, or stops in front F6, I have no issue with INT there. 

[noumpere]

I'm very uncomfortable on this type play judging if the runner hindered an F6 on such a play. Let's say R2 is running full speed towards 3rd. He and the ball cross paths in front of F6. R2 jumps over the ball, (no contact with the ball) F6 boots it. Is R2 guilty of INT just because he and the ball crossed paths in front of F6?  

No, he's not guilty of INT (unless he ran so close to F6 that it caused F6 to change course).

 

And, in the OP, when the runner stops, as a general rule, if the ball goes in front of R2 (that is, closer to third), no INT.  If R2 stops and jumps over the ball or leaves just before the ball gets there and the ball goes just behind him, it's INT. 

[maven]

And, in the OP, when the runner stops, as a general rule, if the ball goes in front of R2 (that is, closer to third), no INT.  If R2 stops and jumps over the ball or leaves just before the ball gets there and the ball goes just behind him, it's INT when the fielder subsequently boots it.

FIFY: we must have actual hindrance to constitute INT.

 

That's a helpful rule of thumb that makes sense, should be easy to explain to a coach, and provides guidance concerning how to make this call.

[noumpere]

Agreed with your change.

[Richvee]

Thanks guys. That really does make it clear. Guess I just never had someone explain it quite so succinctly. 

[JaxRolo]

Good call!

[Dash Riprock]

HTBT.  It could be anything from nothing to two outs.

[stl_ump]

I get this kind of stuff a lot.  R2 is going to 3rd and F6 pulls up short because he doesn't want to run into R2.  Does he know the runner has to stay out of his way or does he think he does?  I don't know what he thinks but if I had a dollar for every time a fielder pulled up / slowed down to avoid a runner, I could go to McDonalds a lot more often.