Classic Interference

[Thunderheads]

Amazing that the HIGHEST level of baseball, you see youth ball mistakes

[maven]

Oh I dunno, looked as if he was on the base, just like that other guy....

I keed, I keed.

[ricka56]

So what makes one of these interference and not the other  ?

 

 

[MikeSafari]

@ricka56 in the TOR-HOU play, R2 has the right to be standing on the bag, and as long as his interference is unintentional, then it's nothing. In the CLE-BAL play, the BR had a path around F3 (e.g. run through the bag, don't make a turn) but chose to run directly into his chest--twice--which is INT and therefore he's out.

[grayhawk]

Even if it was an R1 who did that, I would have interference as his movement was intentional.  But it begs the question, does 7.08( b ) comment apply to a BR?  Is first base the BR's "legally occupied base" on a fly ball that is still in the air?

Let's say the BR was able to get to the base and stand on it and only ducked like Reyes did in the other play.  Would we have interference because it's a BR and not a "regular" runner?  Clearly, a BR can overrun first base, but he is certainly not required to do so.

7.01 A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out. He is then entitled to it until he is put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner legally entitled to that base.

Edited June 8, 2015 by grayhawk

[maven]

Clearly, a BR can overrun first base, but he is certainly not required to do so.

​Perhaps he is: the BR has somewhere to go where he can safely avoid interfering. R1, R2, and R3, in contrast, are in jeopardy when off base. The difference might warrant different enforcement — specifically, a lower bar for INT for the BR.

Just spit-balling here, gang: I've never seen any authority address this issue.

[grayhawk]

​Perhaps he is: the BR has somewhere to go where he can safely avoid interfering. R1, R2, and R3, in contrast, are in jeopardy when off base. The difference might warrant different enforcement — specifically, a lower bar for INT for the BR.

Makes sense.