[greymule]

This would read to me that the umpire may choose to NOT impose the penalty, not that the umpire may choose to "set things right" in the more general sense.

Good point. It's apparently either impose the penalty or don't impose the penalty. In the play in question, it wouldn't be possible to refrain from invoking the penalty. However, in the case where BR knocks F3 down but F3 catches the ball anyway and gets the runner from 3B out on appeal, ignoring the interference would indeed "set things right."

Except that if you call the interference at the moment BR knocks F3 down, you've stopped play. The bell has already rung.

With the winning run on 3B in the bottom of the 7th and one out, the offensive coach should remind both runner and batter than if the ball is popped fair in the infield and close enough to the batter, the runner from 3B should streak home and the batter should run out and interfere in whatever way is necessary to prevent the fielder from catching the ball. The coach would risk ejection and a place in infamy, but his team would win the game.

[Edited by greymule on Feb 24th, 2006 at 01:29 PM]