MLB "Spectator" interference question

[Guest Pete]

There is a bullpen immediately beyond the right field fence.  This fence is 5 fee tall.  A ball is hit deep to right field.  The right fielder leaps to rob the batter of a homerun.  A pitcher in the bullpen catches the ball while standing in the bullpen, making contact with the glove of the right fielder.  If this exact situation happened and the pitcher in the bullpen was a fan, the call would clearly not be spectator interference because the spectator would not have reached into the field of play.

What is the call?

[SH0102]

19 minutes ago, Guest Pete said:

There is a bullpen immediately beyond the right field fence.  This fence is 5 fee tall.  A ball is hit deep to right field.  The right fielder leaps to rob the batter of a homerun.  A pitcher in the bullpen catches the ball while standing in the bullpen, making contact with the glove of the right fielder.  If this exact situation happened and the pitcher in the bullpen was a fan, the call would clearly not be spectator interference because the spectator would not have reached into the field of play.

What is the call?

A pitcher in uniform can not be a “fan”.

This would be INT and batter is out

[SH0102]

Just now, SH0102 said:

A pitcher in uniform can not be a “fan”.

This would be INT and batter is out

Should clarify, my answer was based on the assumption that the pitcher was from the offensive/batting team.

If a member of defense INT with his own guy, sucks to be them

[LRZ]

The answer to your "fan" hypothetical depends on where the contact between fielder and fan occurs. Is it over the right field fence or on the playing field side? Where the fan is standing is irrelevant.

OBR 6.01(e) Comment: "No interference shall be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk. However, should a spectator reach out on the playing field side of such fence, railing or rope, and plainly prevent the fielder from catching the ball, then the batsman should be called out for the spectator’s interference." [Emphases added.]

[SH0102]

1 hour ago, LRZ said:

The answer to your "fan" hypothetical depends on where the contact between fielder and fan occurs. Is it over the right field fence or on the playing field side? Where the fan is standing is irrelevant.

OBR 6.01(e) Comment: "No interference shall be allowed when a fielder reaches over a fence, railing, rope or into a stand to catch a ball. He does so at his own risk. However, should a spectator reach out on the playing field side of such fence, railing or rope, and plainly prevent the fielder from catching the ball, then the batsman should be called out for the spectator’s interference." [Emphases added.]

Your info is good, but again, a pitcher in the bullpen can not be a “fan”.  They get no such protection about “over the wall”.  If that was allowed, every bullpen person would flail away at every OF who reached over to try and rob a home run

[LRZ]

I think you are reading too much into the OP, which, it seems to me, was about spectator interference. I think Pete meant if the "interferer" was a fan, a "civilian" spectator, not a pitcher, the bullpen coach or other member of the team; I doubt he was equating "fan" and "pitcher."

However, I'll also answer the question on the assumption that it was a reliever (or bullpen coach) on the offensive team who made contact with the fielder's glove. That would be interference under 6.01(b): "The players, coaches or any member of a team at bat shall vacate any space (including both dugouts or bullpens) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted or thrown ball. If a member of the team at bat (other than a runner) hinders a fielder’s attempt to catch or field a batted ball, the ball is dead, the batter is declared out and all runners return to the bases occupied at the time of the pitch."

 

[beerguy55]

On 9/5/2021 at 2:42 PM, Guest Pete said:

There is a bullpen immediately beyond the right field fence.  This fence is 5 fee tall.  A ball is hit deep to right field.  The right fielder leaps to rob the batter of a homerun.  A pitcher in the bullpen catches the ball while standing in the bullpen, making contact with the glove of the right fielder.  If this exact situation happened and the pitcher in the bullpen was a fan, the call would clearly not be spectator interference because the spectator would not have reached into the field of play.

I'm confused about why you would make this statement - spectators reach into the field of play all the time...that's why the rule exists.

Or do you mean "the spectator did not reach into the field of play"?

 

Making that assumption - there are three scenarios:

1. If it's a spectator, there's no interference as long as the spectator/paid patron/non-team member did not reach into the field of play

2. If it's a member of the offensive team that made contact with F9, it's interference, regardless of reaching into the field of play  

3. If it's a member of the defensive team in that bull pen, it's nothing - he likely gets sent to the minors the next day