batter's interference in Blue Jays-Angels

[Gfoley4]

https://streamable.com/xg4ew 

[stkjock]

the video is not accessible to me (company firewall)

 

I presume it's this play:

 

 

[MT73]

I thought backswing / follow through interference was only an out in FED.

According to page 80, section 7.14 of the 2015 Minor League Umpires Manual the proper call on this play is a dead ball strike and runner returned to 1B.

" This interpretation applies even if the catcher is in the act of making a throw to retire a runner. That is if the batter is in the batters box and his normal backswing or follow through unintentionally strikes the catcher or the ball while the catcher is in the act of throwing "Time" is called and runners return ( unless catcher's throw retires the runner) "

[ALStripes17]

I thought backswing / follow through interference was only an out in FED.
According to page 80, section 7.14 of the 2015 Minor League Umpires Manual the proper call on this play is a dead ball strike and runner returned to 1B.
" This interpretation applies even if the catcher is in the act of making a throw to retire a runner. That is if the batter is in the batters box and his normal backswing or follow through unintentionally strikes the catcher or the ball while the catcher is in the act of throwing "Time" is called and runners return ( unless catcher's throw retires the runner) "

Batter continues across the plate after the backswing. I can see full BI on this.

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[MT73]

19 minutes ago, ALStripes17 said:

Batter continues across the plate after the backswing. I can see full BI on this.

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Yes, looking at it again his foot does cross the plate after the swing.

Good call by the umpire.

[CJK]

This is a really interesting situation.

MT73's quote is literally what happened.  The batter remained in a legal batting position through his follow-through swing and contact with the catcher.

After the contact, he stepped out of the box, but his movement/position outside the box did not appear to hinder the catcher at all.

It seems to me that Basner's call is entirely defensible, but a call of "dead ball strike, runner(s) return" would also be entirely defensible.

[noumpere]

I think it's the correct call -- and one that needs to be made more often.  Batters "never" step forward out of the box when a runner is not stealing; they "always" do when a runner is stealing.  Start calling it and they'll stop.