[cbfoulds]

Originally posted by cbfoulds
scyguy:
On the malicious/attempt to avoid bit you have two separate issues, both of which require some mind reading on the umpire's part.

A runner is out is he does not attempt to avoid contact with a fielder who is in the act of making a play on the runner [8-4-2c]. Note that this is not necessarily interference.

He is ALSO out [and, oh, BTW, ejected] if he initiates malicious contact [with anyone].[8-4-2e] As you stated [but for some reason, I'm uncomfortable w/ how you wrote it- don't know why] not all intentional contact is malicious.

The mind reading comes in with:
1.)Did he attempt to avoid {& did he try hard enough}?

2.)Was the contact "malicious"?

I use and teach that "malicious" means knowing or grossly reckless conduct from which we can imply that the runner had the intent to do harm. In the absence of this intent to harm, we can have a spectacular collision, but no mailicious contact.

In most cases of major collision, and because of the "must attempt to avoid" rule, I put the burden of persuasion on the runner: unless I am convinced that there was NO WAY for the runner to avoid the collision, then in my judgment the collision happened because the runner intended to steamroll the defender [or simply didn't give a damn if he did or not], and the runner is gonna be out and ejected.

That he "attempted" [so he claims] to avoid the collision isn't good enough. He was in control of his body, his shoulder was down, he was going for the plate, no matter what was in front of him: that he deflected his trajectory slightly is merely evidence of good acting.

OTOH, in cases of minor or incidental-seeming contact, I'm applying a "presumption of innocence", at least as to maliciousness. The runner may possibly be out for failing to attempt to avoid [and certainly will be if the contact knocks the ball loose, and I don't believe he tried very hard to avoid], but I'm not ejecting him. I am also giving him some benefit of the doubt on the sincerity and sufficiency of his attempt, if the contact is not too serious.

He's going to be neither out or ejected if I am convinced that he made a reasonable good-faith effort to avoid contact, and simply was a co-victim of a "train wreck". These actually are the tough ones, since train wrecks on the diamond share with those on the tracks the element of spectacular and occasionally bloody casualties. You want to penalize someone, and you damn skippy that F2's coach wants condign punishment meted out to someone for giving his guy a concussion. The fans of both teams are gonna wonder why the catcher is getting hauled off in an abmulance, and the run is getting put up on the scoreboard. It's just that the rules of the game don't forbid hurting someone: only intending to do so.