|
Although rare, it is possible to have runners-lane interference on a throw other than from the home plate area. Nothing in the rule limits it to throws from home plate.
E.g.: bases loaded, no outs. BR bunts a sharp one-hopper to pitcher, who gloves it and fires to third for the force out. F5 then fires the ball across to first. The path of the throw will intercept the first base line about four feet down the line towards home. F3 leans toward home, sticks his glove out in fair territory, just inside the line, and would have been able to catch the ball with ordinary effort (IOW, a quality throw) in time to put out BR, except that BR is also running inside the line (his left foot entirely to the left of the line). BR runs into F3's glove, the ball hits BR in the back and falls to the ground. At some point before the interference, either before the force at third (a la suicide squeeze) or afterwards, R3 touches home.
Taking JM's reported interpretation as gospel, I have R2 out on the force, BR out on a running-lane interference, R3 scoring a run, and R1 wherever he was when the ball hit BR (I hope some ump was watching).
On the other hand, if there was no play at third and F1's initial play was the same throw to F3, then BR is out and runners all return to TOP base. Are we sure that MLBUM or some other authority says this would be a TOP, not a TOI?
|