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Originally posted by WestMichBlue
Over on eteamz Mike said "There are no train wrecks on a batted ball, the fielder has the right-of-way."
That got me thinking about when a RH batter bunts and starts towards 1B in fair territory, and the catcher is going for the ball - and they collide. No intent, neither one committed any overt act to impede the other; they just ran into each other.
I thought, from previous discussions here, that both had equal rights to that space and the call was accident - play on. Is it only on a thrown ball that an accident can occur?
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You are correct that you could have contact on a batted ball without ruling interference, but this isn't what I refer to as a "train wreck", but incidental contact. My idea of a train wreck is all three elements arriving at a single place at one time.
Semantics aside, the bunt in front of the plate could result in runner-fielder contact without INT.
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Change the subject a bit. All books seem to say that Intent is not required for most charges of interference, and that contact is not necessary. The ASA POE uses the words visual distraction, or any type of distraction that would hinder a fielder in the execution of a play is grounds for interference.
The most blatent example of visual distraction occurs when a runner passes between the ball and the fielder, causing the fielder to momentarily lose sight of the ball. Yet if the fielder fails to make a play most of you say that the runner has the right to run to the base, and it is the responsibility of the fielder to maintain concentration and field the ball.
So what does it take to call interference if there is no contact? If a runner and fielder are on a collision course and at the last moment the runner spins away behind the fielder, but the fielder flinches (to protect herself) and misses the ball, is that interference? Or are we going to say that fielders need nerves of steel and are required to stay focused on their target and not be bothered by the runners action.
If a runner is pasing in front of a charging fielder, and the fielder hesitates to let the runner clear and the ball takes a bad hop off the fielders shoulder are we going to call interference because in one more step the fielder chould have short-hopped the ball and taken the bad hop out of play?
Can you give me examples of what you would call interference if there was no contact?
WMB
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The fielder definitely owns the field at this point. Simply running in front of a fielder is not interference as long as the runner remains in full stride. The runner who hesitates to time their passing with the ball can be interference as their intent has clearly become to distract the fielder, not advance to the next base.
If a runner's presence causes a fielder to check-up, you are now getting into the mind of the player and it truly becomes totally umpire's judgment. One defensive strategy is to beat the runner to the spot on the field and force them to move around the fielder. Other than that, it is more prudent for the fielder to place themselves where they can field the ball cleanly. Not that they should have to do this, but assuming they will automatically get an INT call could cost them the opportunity to make an out.
BTW, what does a "bad hop" have to do with a passing runner? A bad hop is a bad hop and probably would have been trouble for the fielder regardless of any runner. If not, it obviously wasn't a "bad hop".
[Edited by IRISHMAFIA on Mar 24th, 2004 at 06:16 AM]