Interference??

[MarcusVRoberts]

<<Situation>>

Runner on 2nd & 3rd

1 Out

Batter hits a fly ball to left-field (f7)

R3 tags up and heads for home on the catch. R2 goes halfway and returns to 2nd on the catch, but advances to 3rd on the throw home.

The throw comes in to home, gets by the catcher and strikes the on deck batter behind home plate, and shoots up the first base line allowing R2 to round third and score.

[noumpere]

Play on.  (Unless it was intentional).

[refump10]

Agree.  I got nothing unless he picked it up or intentionally let the ball hit him.  Let's expand it a bit:  let's say he picked the ball up for some reason.  Would you still give the runner 3B? I'm thinking if he hadn't reached 3B, you have to send him back to 2B, because that was the base he occupied at TOI.

[MarcusVRoberts]

Okay thank you.

I was unsure because the batter had made his way from the on deck circle to area behind home plate. The ball deflected off of him and shot further up the line allowing R2 to round 3rd and score.

[noumpere]

Agree.  I got nothing unless he picked it up or intentionally let the ball hit him.  Let's expand it a bit:  let's say he picked the ball up for some reason.  Would you still give the runner 3B? I'm thinking if he hadn't reached 3B, you have to send him back to 2B, because that was the base he occupied at TOI.

Isn't this intentional interference by a person authorized to be on the field?  So, if there was a play happening, then get an out.  Otherwise, judge what would have happened (and give the benefit of the doubt to the defense -- so in this play if you weren't sure R2 would reach third, send him back; if you were sure, leave him at third.)

 

From MLBUM:

 

Play: Player in bullpen picks up a fair batted ball.

Ruling: Defensive player: Interference by person authorized to be on the playing field. Offensive

player: Interference by person authorized to be on the playing field unless in the umpire's

judgment the offensive player purposely interfered with the batted ball with the intent to hinder

the play, in which case the umpire shall rule offensive interference and declare the batter-runner

out. Other runners would return to the base last occupied at time of interference. If the fielder is

in the act of making a play on another runner when the offensive player purposely interferes, the

umpire would declare such runner out and return other runners to the base occupied at time of

interference. (See Official Baseball Rules 3.15 and 7.11.)

[immaculate1976]

I would send the runner back. There is no reason for the next batter to be behind the catcher during a play. He should stay in the on deck circle until the play is over and then he comes to bat. 

[noumpere]

I would send the runner back. There is no reason for the next batter to be behind the catcher during a play. He should stay in the on deck circle until the play is over and then he comes to bat. 

WTF!?  It's his (accepted) job to get behind the plate and to coach the runner trying for home whether to slide and which way to slide. 

[ricka56]

I would send the runner back. There is no reason for the next batter to be behind the catcher during a play. He should stay in the on deck circle until the play is over and then he comes to bat. 

 

If you do this, someone might protest and require you to provide rule back-up for your call...got one ?

[refump10]

Thanks, noump.  I'm just thinking that if the ODB picked up (intentionally) then we should kill the play right then.  R2 was already on the way to third, he just hadn't reached the bag yet.  He was moving on the throw to the plate, and would have made third in the absence of anything else happening.  Then we have the interference. Do we use our discretion in placing him or send him back to 2nd? 

 

Trying to go through the book, just haven't found it yet.

[noumpere]

Thanks, noump.  I'm just thinking that if the ODB picked up (intentionally) then we should kill the play right then.  R2 was already on the way to third, he just hadn't reached the bag yet.  He was moving on the throw to the plate, and would have made third in the absence of anything else happening.  Then we have the interference. Do we use our discretion in placing him or send him back to 2nd? 

 

Trying to go through the book, just haven't found it yet.

What did I say in post #5?  "Otherwise, judge what would have happened (and give the benefit of the doubt to the defense -- so in this play if you weren't sure R2 would reach third, send him back; if you were sure, leave him at third.)"

 

You were sure he would have reached third -- leave him there.

[immaculate1976]

 

I would send the runner back. There is no reason for the next batter to be behind the catcher during a play. He should stay in the on deck circle until the play is over and then he comes to bat. 

WTF!?  It's his (accepted) job to get behind the plate and to coach the runner trying for home whether to slide and which way to slide. 

 

 

 

I am talking about the kid who is not coaching the runner he is walking up to bat without seeing the play is still going on. So bases loaded ball bounces off the catcher toward on deck batter who is swinging and hits it to the fence are you telling me everyone scores one this? 

[refump10]

Noump; I was over-thinking it.  Looked back at some other posts from the past, and it got me thinking way too much. 

[MarcusVRoberts]

If the ball hit the on deck batter behind home plate and deflects down the base line allowing R2 to round third and score, whether intentional or otherwise, shouldn't the ball be called dead? And R2 be returned to third?

[Replacematt]

I am talking about the kid who is not coaching the runner he is walking up to bat without seeing the play is still going on. So bases loaded ball bounces off the catcher toward on deck batter who is swinging and hits it to the fence are you telling me everyone scores one this?

If you had a situation that happened that way, absolutely.

[grayhawk]

If the ball hit the on deck batter behind home plate and deflects down the base line allowing R2 to round third and score, whether intentional or otherwise, shouldn't the ball be called dead? And R2 be returned to third?

 

No.  The defense misplayed the ball, and I'm not killing the play because it inadvertently hit a an offensive player who had a right to be where he was.

[maven]

If the ball hit the on deck batter behind home plate and deflects down the base line allowing R2 to round third and score, whether intentional or otherwise, shouldn't the ball be called dead? And R2 be returned to third?

 

It is not unusual for newer umpires to kill it reflexively as soon as something unusual happens. This is probably "all-hell-is-about-to-break-loose prevention," and completely understandable.

 

We should, however, resist that impulse: if the ball's dead by rule, nothing is happening anyway, and if it's not dead, we shouldn't kill it. If we're not certain it's dead, let it go and sort it out after.

 

And now that you've looked at OBR 3.15, I'm sure you know when to kill and when to let it go when the ball hits a person authorized to be on the field.

[MarcusVRoberts]

Thank you so much Mavin. This is the response I have waited on. I am a new umpire, and I love the game, and want to make the right calls. Also, I killed it. And now know I shouldn't have, and will learn from this so that it doesn't happen again.

Again, thank you very much.

[noumpere]

 

 

I would send the runner back. There is no reason for the next batter to be behind the catcher during a play. He should stay in the on deck circle until the play is over and then he comes to bat. 

WTF!?  It's his (accepted) job to get behind the plate and to coach the runner trying for home whether to slide and which way to slide. 

 

 

 

I am talking about the kid who is not coaching the runner he is walking up to bat without seeing the play is still going on. So bases loaded ball bounces off the catcher toward on deck batter who is swinging and hits it to the fence are you telling me everyone scores one this? 

 

Anyone who swings the bat back there is doing so intentionally.  At least in the levels for whom OBR was written.

[maven]

Anyone who swings the bat back there is doing so intentionally.  At least in the levels for whom OBR was written.

While I agree with your statement, when 3.15 mentions intentionally contacting the ball, its envisioning a nonplayer picking up a live ball or the like (ballboy picks up fair ball, etc.).

 

If the ODB sees that thrown ball coming and whacks it to the OF, the offense is not going to get any love when we kill that.

 

But you're saying (I think) that you'd kill it if he (accidentally) hits a misplayed ball with one of his (intentional) practice swings. I think I'd do the same: it's one thing for the defense to lay in the bed they made, and quite another when the ball ends up 300 feet from where they misplayed it, or he hits it out of play.