[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Al

Hi all,

Tuesday night in a T-Ball game I was BU. There was a runner on 1st and 2nd with no outs. The batter hit a pretty fast roller towards shortstop. It passed the pitcher and another fielder, but neither was able to get close enough to stop it. The runner from 2nd was about 7 feet or so off 2nd base on his way to 3rd when the ball hit his foot. There was a fielder directly behind him just inside the outfield grass (the outfielders are all allowed to play inside the grass in our T-Ball league) when the ball hit his foot. The ball keep rolling to the outfield, only more towards left field than left/center where a different fielder went after the ball. I am wondering if I shouldn't have called the runner out because the fast pitch rule book, which we use for T-Ball as well except, of course, for things that don't apply such as stealing etc. says "if another infielder has a possible play" then the runner would be out. Anyway, since the outfielders play at infield depth I called the runner out and let the play go on. DDB. All three runners kept running and the girl I called out crossed the plate by the time the ball was back to the circle. The other two runners were just starting to pass 3rd and 2nd base. So I judged that both runners would have probably ended up there had the ball never been deflected. (It's rare at this age that a ball is fielded cleanly and thrown back to the circle or to a base to stop the lead runner.) So I'm wondering if I should consider the outfielders as infielders being they play inside the green? I got no arguments at all for the out call and placing the other runners at 3rd and 2nd. But getting no arguments doesn't always mean it was the right call. And it's the right call I want to make. What would you have done? I sure would like to be more sure should this happen again, especially if it happens in a close game where that call could make a win or loss. ...Thanks, ...Al

No, if you ruled interference the ball is dead immediately, no further play is allowed.