Quote:
Originally posted by JJ
So if the infield is in and a guy gets a base hit through the hole past the diving 3rd baseman and shortstop, but it hits the runner, the runner is out? If not, how does this differ from the NCAA case outlined - and where did you find the OBR ruling?
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The judgment to be made in your play is did the ball pass within the immediate reach of the fielder before hitting the runner immediately back of him. You are evaluating whether the runner had a reasonable chance to avoid being hit by the ball and failed. When the ball goes through a fielder's legs and then hits the runner right behind him, the runner is NOT out because the logic is that he didn't have a reasonable opportunity to avoid being hit, because the fielder should have fielded it. Same logic if the ball deflects off the fielder and then hits the runner, the runner is not out.
In all other cases of a runner hit by a batted ball, the runner is out. He has an obligation to avoid being hit. The idea that the runner is exempt if the ball has travelled a farther distance from homeplate than all infielders are stationed is known as the "string theory" and, for OBR, is an obsolete interpretation of the relevant rules, superceded by authoritative and official interpretation by what I call the "Jim Evans interpretation" in which "passes" is defined as "passes through the legs or within the immediate reach" of the fielder. The related idea that the runner is exempt when hit by a batted ball as long as no other infielders had a potential play on the ball is an incorrect interpretation of a fragment of the actual rule.
The best, most current source of confirmation of the OBR interpretation is contained in the MLB Umpire Manual, in section 6.4. Here's an example play from that section that illustrates the gist of the interpretation:
(5) Runners on first and second, both runners stealing. Batter shows bunt, the first and third
basemen move in, and the shortstop moves to cover third. The batter swings at the last minute
and hits a ground ball in the direction of the shortstop position. However, the shortstop has
moved to cover third base, and no one is in position to field the ball. The ground ball strikes the
runner advancing from second base.
Ruling: Runner from second is declared out for being struck by a batted ball. The batter-runner is
placed at first base. The ball is not considered to have gone through or by an infielder in this
play.
Hope this helps.