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Old Wed Jul 05, 2006, 11:25am
mbyron mbyron is offline
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: NE Ohio
Posts: 7,620
I was taught to think of runner interference on a batted ball this way: the burden is ALWAYS on the runner to stay out of the path of a batted ball, and his failure to do so is interference in EVERY case but one, regardless of intention. The one exception is the ball that goes "through" a fielder (essentially a misplayed ball) that hits a runner directly behind him.

Given the citation from JM, you will never see an interference "non-call" based on the fact that no infielder could make the play (e.g., ball hits runner behind a pulled-in infield). My understanding of the pro interpretation of 7.09(m) is that the defense in general, and not just the infielders, has a right to make a play on every batted ball without interference from the runners.

Folks can quibble all they want about what the text of the rule says; the pro interpretation of the rule is fairly - though not perfectly - clear on this point. I'm a little surprised to hear that Roder has something different: I wonder how he would respond to JM's citation.
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mb
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