[greymule]

Sometimes we go a while without anything new, and at times like those I wonder whether we've run out of things to discuss. However, baseball (and softball) keep producing questions worth contemplating. Over on the softball board, we still haven't arrived at a 100% understanding on foul tips. I do agree, however, that we need to compile a list of answers to frequently asked questions.

So to kindle something on this cold winter night, would you call interference on the following play?:

R1 on 1B, batter gets a hit to right center. F9 fields the ball as R1 rounds 2B and starts for 3B. As R1 advances toward 3B, he doesn't see the throw from F9, but instead, by watching F5's eyes and body movement, senses that the throw is going to beat him and is also going to be to the left of 3B. So R1 slides to the left of 3B—within reach by his foot—and gets hit in the back by the throw, which goes into DBT.

When I played, I used to try to anticipate where the throw from behind me would be if the play was going to be close, and I would try to get hit while still going for the base. I always figured that if I made it obvious, they'd call me out, but I really don't know the proper way to call that.

Obviously, in a rundown, if I saw a runner obviously "move toward the glove" and get hit, I'd call interference, but I'd be interested to know how others would rule on such plays.