Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Ives
There's no loophole at all and no runs can score.
The rule just says if a runner interfers with intent to break up a DP - it doesn't say how the DP would/could have been achieved. This particular one would have been the catch of the popup plus the appeal at third.
If, in the judgment of the umpire, a base runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead. The umpire shall call the runner out for interference and also call out the batter-runner because of the action of his teammate. In no event may bases be run or runs scored because of such action by a runner.
So you call R2 out and the BR out and return the other runners to their TOP base. No fuss. No muss. Just what the rule says.
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My mistake for misreading the play. I agree with Rich. Heck, I might even get three outs for "intentionally breaking up a triple play."
For FED, though, runners generally return TOI. But, 8-4-2g includes "If ... a runner ... interferes in any way and prevents a double play anywhere, two shall be declared out (the runner who interfered and the other runner involved)." So, here R2 and R3 are out, and BR gets first -- again, unless you are extending this to be a triple play.