Quote:
Originally posted by Thane Yennie
In my original play, being last summer (I have trouble remembering yesterday BG), I can't recall the actual placement of the batter. It seems the batter (RH) stepped backwards out of the box (1/2 step) after the pitch and the catcher took a crow hop towards third before releasing the ball, and ran into the batter. This is definitely something we need more clarification on. Anymore help out there??
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Thane,
I'm not Jim, but I'd like to comment here. Jim is correct in everything he said about what a batter can and cannot do to avoid interfering with the catcher. On the original play you quoted, he was also correct in suggesting that freezing was a better option than ducking.
The problem I have is that your second recollection of the circumstances is vastly different than the first. It is different in the sense that the original recitation didn't include the fact that the batter "stepped backwards out of the box". That action much more clearly defines batter's interference than your original situation intimated.
OTOH, you say that you believed the catcher was coached to deliberately step into the batter. Inherent in any act of interference is the implicit understanding that the fielder was making a legitimate attempt to make a play. Otherwise there is usually nothing with which to interfere. If the catcher was more concerned with bumping into the batter to draw a call than actually making the play, then you might have a case to ignore the interference on the ground the catcher was not making a legitimate play. Generally speaking, however, the batter's action of leaving the box and hindering the catcher's fielding or throwing will usually result in a call of batter's interference.
Cheers,