Quote:
Originally Posted by Kleff
Hey guys had situation the other night. Runner on 1st and 3rd 1 out. Passed ball runner from 3rd attempting to score. Cathers throw to the plate hits batter. I'm out in the field, plate umpire makes no call except runner from 3rd is safe. I ask for a meeting with plate umpire and tell him I believe we have interference on the batter. He asks "what do you mean" I replay the play to him and he agrees the batter interfeared. So I tell him I'm not 100% on this but I believe since there is less than 2 outs runner on third is out and runner from 1st which is now on 3rd goes back to 1st? He says I think runner would have been safe so I'm not calling the interference. I told him you only disregard the interfrenece if the runner is out! So we make no call on interference! No coaches or players screamed or anything, but, I dont think they new what really happened I have to believe plate umpire is wrong on this. What do you guys think???????
Kleff
|
There are 2 relevant issues here:
1. Did the batter interfere with a play at the plate?
2. What is the penalty if he did?
Issue 2 is easy to answer: with less than 2 out, the runner trying to score would be out (and the other runner would return).
Issue 1 is harder to answer because the correct answer depends on many factors. But whether the runner "would have been safe" is NEVER a criterion for determining interference.
If the batter had time to move out of the way and F2 made a quality throw and the batter's movement interfered with the play at the plate, then I'd rule INT.
OTOH, if he was away from the plate area and not on a line between F2 and the plate and the throw hit him, I would say that he had not hindered the play. Then the call would be no interference, live ball, play on.
Interference calls are very difficult to rule on without video or a very comprehensive account of the play.
I agree with other posters that the mechanics described in this play were incorrect.