Quote:
Originally Posted by NFump
Catcher catches pitch, BALL called by umpire, catcher sees R1 off bag and moving towards second but still close to first, stands up, fires ball to first just a batter runs in front of him.
I've got interference and batter's out, runner returns. It's a batter not a runner, intent does not matter as he is out of the box.
|
6.06 A batter is out for illegal action when:
(c) He interferes with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter’s box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher’s play at home base. EXCEPTION: Batter is not out if any runner attempting to advance is put out, or if runner trying to score is called out for batter’s interference.
Look carefully at the first sentence here. In the OP, the batter had already left the box, and did not interfere with the catcher's fielding or throwing. The catcher made a bad throw. You can't get an easy out by nailing someone with a throw. If the batter had actually interfered with the catcher trying to throw the ball, that would have been interference. That is what is meant by this rule. If the batter steps out, leans over, falls into, etc,, and hinders the catcher's play
at home base, then it's INT. This is not what occurred here. The runner had taken off running, and the catcher pegged him with a throw. That is not interference, whether he is a batter, runner, a coach, a hot dog vendor, or whatever. It is nothing but a crappy play by the catcher, who was throwing to the wrong base with bad aim to start with.