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Originally posted by debeau
The players throwing the ball back to the base are doing so because they know the runner had left before the ball was first touched and that the runner cant do this .
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I'm sorry, but I seriously doubt that the outfielders have time to study the runners and keep an eye on each one while catching the ball to see exactly the base to which they need to throw the ball to get an out. I can tell you as a player, coach and umpire, someone is telling them where to throw the ball. You may block it out, but the outfielder is not making this decision on their own.
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I have chatted with numerous players and coaches after the game as to this and all were unaware that it was an appeal .Logically we cant give an out if the players dont know that it is an appeal play even though you think that the act of throwing the ball back is enough .
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Most don't know the difference between obstruction and interference either, but that doesn't stop the umpire from making the call. In 38 years of umpiring baseball and softball, I've yet to hear a player or coach come out and state, "The catcher obstructed". Ten out of ten times, unless it is a player or coach who is also an umpire, it's going to be "the catcher interfered!"
Only once have I ruled interference instead of obstruction and that was because the coach was such a bonehead and argued with me that he knows interference when he sees it and I was wrong if I ruled obstruction. So, I gave him his wish can called out the runner that was knocked down rounding 1st.
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They all thought it was an automatic out .
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If it were automatic, why would they bother throwing the ball?
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No I have never heard a team member yelling throw it back unless the player has gone on to the next base and no I am not deaf
Maybe we need better education of players/ coaches
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They get the rules. If they want to learn, fine. However, my experience shows many players have no place for rules. They believe what they learned playing sandlot ball or saw in the game on the TV the night before is the way every stick, ball and base game is played.
I find that many would rather argue how wrong a ruling is even if you read the rule to them verbatim from the book because it doesn't jive with their beliefs.