Fan interference

[Guest Mark Bjornson]

In game 4 of the NLCS SF vs Chicago would it have been a homerun if a fan would have caught the ball that hit the top of the wall that resulted in a double for the giants?

[Richvee]

It would have been a judgement call on wether or not the fan reached over the rail and touched it. It would have to be judged if the ball would have been a HR without the interference. Having the luxury of knowing the ball did not go out, had a fan leaned over and touched it, the correct call would be double, runners on 2nd 3rd. Not a "ground rule double"...Umpires would be allowed to place runners where they believe they would be had there been no interference. 

[BT_Blue]

Also the fan would have been escorted out of the stadium for touching a live ball in play.

[maven]

8 hours ago, BT_Blue said:

Also the fan would have been escorted out of the stadium for touching a live ball in play.

That's not a rulebook penalty for spectator INT.

A live ball over the stands may be touched by fans, even if it interferes with a fielder's attempt to catch or field the ball. The ball is dead when touched, and it is what it is (foul, HR, "ground rule double," caught for an out, etc.).

A live ball over the field that is touched by fans is immediately dead, and the umpire will place runners or call outs depending on what he thinks would have happened without the INT.

[Rich Ives]

11 hours ago, Richvee said:

It would have been a judgement call on wether or not the fan reached over the rail and touched it. It would have to be judged if the ball would have been a HR without the interference. Having the luxury of knowing the ball did not go out, had a fan leaned over and touched it, the correct call would be double, runners on 2nd 3rd. Not a "ground rule double"...Umpires would be allowed to place runners where they believe they would be had there been no interference. 

Can't be both.  The correct answer is the second part.

[Richvee]

10 hours ago, Rich Ives said:

Can't be both.  The correct answer is the second part.

You are correct. I was assuming the umpires would have ruled it a double...I know..never assume 

[Aging_Arbiter]

Just ask Steve Bartman

[BT_Blue]

On 10/13/2016 at 6:37 AM, Aging_Arbiter said:

Just ask Steve Bartman

Not a good example. Bartman was not leaning over into the field of play. Alou was going into the stands.

[udbrky]

30 for 30 showed the ball could have been caught, once they removed all people from the picture. Still unsure it doesn't hit fence. 

 

What was that Orioles' fan kid's name vs Yankees in ALCS? That's a better example.

[Senor Azul]

It was a young Yankees fan named Jeffrey Maier who clearly reached out onto the playing field and interfered with the Orioles right fielder. Derek Jeter hit the long fly ball in the bottom of the 8th inning. Instead of it being just a long out it was ruled a home run and it tied the game which went into extras with the Yankees winning in 11. Turns out the kid did not actually catch the ball--he gloved it and pulled it into the stands before losing control of it. I think the kid was just 12 years old at the time (1996).