Hi, all.
This past season, I completed my first year of umpiring baseball here in the Great White (or, this year anyway, Green) North. This marked my return to the diamond after some experience in previous years with (what my baseball clinician referred to as) the 'evil' softball
Anyway, having read some of the previous discussion regarding verbal obstruction (which I understand is
not prohibited by OBR), I was reminded of a discussion I had with a partner about the opposite side of the coin: verbal
interference by the team at bat.
Picture either of these situations:
1. B1 hits a pop fly in the area near his dugout. The fielder camps under the ball and prepares to catch it, at which time B1's teammates on the bench scream at him to "drop it!"
2. R1. B1 hits a fly ball to short right field. F3, F4 and F9 are converging on the ball, when R1 yells "I got it!" Ball falls in between the three onrushing fielders and all hands are safe.
I notice in reading the articles on Interference and Obstruction the following distinction:
2.00 (a) (Interference): "Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, hinders or
confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.
2.00 (Obstruction): "Obstruction is the act of a fielder who [...] impedes the progress of any runner."
I'm also aware of the interpretation in J/R (and, as I stated above, previous discussion on this board) that a fielder may mislead a runner as to the facts of a play or an umpire's decision. Given all that, I wonder:
Is the offense, by the language of the Interference rule, held to a higher standard than the defense, or are these also examples of play that might be considered "bush," but that an umpire should deem legal?
Your opinions, please?
Andrew (#40)