[QUOTE=mbyron;765986]
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbcrowder
Rule site? (You are right that it's not "batter" interference ... it's just interference) You can absolutely have interference on exactly this play - and if you couldn't, coach could have protested - which he didn't do.[\QUOTE]
Mike, I think his point was the same as mine earlier on: although in general you can have runner INT by the BR (nobody disputes that), in this case there was no play possible on R1, who was advancing on the BR's award.
To put it differently: what exactly did the BR hinder by his actions? Don't say a throw: it needs to be a throw that is part of defense, i.e. a throw that is part of retiring a runner. We don't have one here.
|
Throwing to a base where a runner will be has been ruled a "play" in both NCAA and FED, even when that base is an award. There's even a caseplay for this in FED regarding a BR who just received a base on balls - throw to first is interfered with - and is considered interference.
The throw doesn't necessarily have to be to RETIRE a runner, but could also be to prevent further action by a runner. Also - if you forget that PU was vociferous out of the gate, that throw did, in fact, go errant and gave R another base. If the interference existed ... it certainly could have been the cause of R going to 3rd.