[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by thumpferee

Originally posted by rinbee

]With 2 out, a runner from third attempts to score on a passed ball. The batter (right handed) steps about 3 feet out of the box (so he is clearly out)and away from the baseline, but he is standing directly in between the catcher retrieving the ball just to the third base side of the plate and the pitcher who is at home plate ready to receive the throw. The throw hits the batter in the back. Do you call interference because the batter failed to avoid the play or not call interference because the batter did what he was supposed to do just by getting out of the batter's box?

That's BI all day long and twice on Sunday!

The batter in this case MUST avoid.

OBR 6.06
A batter is out for illegal action when_
(c) He interferes with the catcher's fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter's box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher's play at home base.

As Dave mentioned 6.06 DOES NOT APPLY as the ball got passed F2.

Reference Rick Roder's Rules on professional baseball.

After a pitch goes past F2, such batter interferes with a subsequent play on a runner at the plate (batter is treated as an "offensive teammate" for purposes of requirements and penalization)

Further Rick goes on to say

It is interference by an offensive teammate (7.09(e)/ 7.11)

1. BLATENTLY AND AVOIDABLY hinders a fielder's try to field a fair or catchable batted or thrown ball.

Offensive teammates must TRY to avoid a fieleder trying to field. If an offensive teammate tries to avoid, but contacts a fielder IT IS NOT interference.

Generally speaking we do NOT reward a bad play by the defense. Here we have an errant pitch and you want to reward the defense by calling interference.

We have a passed ball so now we need INTENT on the part of B1 in order to call interference. As with many of these things you would have to be there, but it sounds like B1 was making a legitimate attempt to avoid the play at the plate.

On this play as described without any further info I have Nothing unless the game is already approaching 3 hours and this OUT would end the game (Just kidding)

Pete Booth