Quote:
Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve
Not necessarily, since the runner is not required to slide, and is allowed (even expected) to attempt to beat the throw. However, just as she may not overslide to be a legal slide, her running through the base isn't a valid attempt to be safe, either. Contact alone is possibly legal, but it needs to be a case where she is clearly stopping at the base in her attempt to be safe after choosing to not slide.
As stated by RKBUmp, there has to be a "play" for there to be interference.
However, I am more leaning to any possibility of a play; at the instant the interference occurs, you don't know if B3 will fall down before reaching 1st, or if she will even fail to touch 1st with a possible live ball appeal available to the defense. I wouldn't be too quick to judge she would clearly beat the throw!!
Common misapplication of the rule. If R2 is already out when she interferes, it ALWAYS the runner closest to home that is out, R1 in this case. The only times you would rule B3 out is if 1) she is the only other runner, or 2) R2 interferes BEFORE she is out, with the obvious intent to stop a double play. This (#2 above) isn't R2 interfering AT the base, it's her obviously and intentionally interfering with the batted ball, the fielder fielding the batted ball, or the fielder throwing the batted ball to 2nd before the initial out is recorded.
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We had this one at a clinic on video.
ZERO OUT: R1 on 3rd, R2 on first. B3 bunts the ball in the air on a suicide squeeze play. The ball goes off F1's glove, hits the dirt and is picked up, is thrown to F6 at second for the out on R2. R2 runs into F6 without attempting to avoid contact, while F6 is attempting to throw to 1st base for the out on B3, who seeing the popup never ran towards 1st base until the ball dropped.
By the time the contact occurred at 2nd base, R1 had already touched home.
What is the call? The umpires on the play called R2 out on the force at second and B3 out on the interference by a retired runner. R3's run counted because at the time of the interference, she had already touched home.