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This is recreational Winter we all do every Winter to help get players ready for school ball. Very tough to be a catcher because of how tight it is at home plate. Our own catcher was afraid to throw down to third in a similar situation as there were 5 coaches all standing within 5 feet of the 3rd base. I was wishing the whole game that the Ump would enforce the rules that there be 1 base coach and all other adults from both teams be behind the dugout fence.
I am hung up on the words "intentional and deliberate" - the batter didn't deliberately try to interfere with the catcher. The catcher had stood and taken a step after catching the pitch. With the catcher being behind the batter, the batter didn't know where the catcher had to go because of the Ump going to the right of the plate to see the activity that might was occurring at third.
She did what batters do naturally when I runner is leading off third, looking to steal home after a pitch. She took a step back and out to her left to get out of the way, anticipating the runner might come all the way to the plate and slide.(The runner never did more than take a healthy lead and take her time getting back to third)
This is the first time I have seen an Ump make this call in all the years of both softball and baseball that I have watched. Even the toher team;s coaching (Kev included) was surprised at the call. ;-)
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