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[QUOTE]Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA
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Why isn't it still a "batted ball"? Has it been fielded at this point? Even a deflected ball is still a batted ball in the rules, what makes this one different?
Mike,
I'm going to do something you don't like. There are rulings in baseball that the fielder is still protected from any inteference if the ball is "within a step and a reach". If the ball is deflected or fumbled beyond that point, then it is treated as a thrown ball, and inteference must be intentional. This seems to me to keep the balance between ofense and defense, and is what I apply to these type of plays in softball also. I don't have any official rulings in softball codes that use this exact wording.
This being said, in the sitch presented, I agree with the no call. If the fielder had kept going for the ball and inteference occured in that step and reach region, then I would invoke the penalty.
Roger Greene
[Edited by Roger Greene on May 1st, 2002 at 04:21 PM]
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