MLB rule on fan contact with a batted ball

[Dakota]

Twins @ Tigers

Must C | Must C Curious: Fan appears to touch Avila's double - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

MLB.com Gameday | tigers.com: Gameday

Was the call correct?

[jicecone]

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire didn't agree.

"I don't care who it hit -- when it hits a fan in the stands, it's a ground-rule double and you don't score," Gardenhire said. "However you want to call it, that guy doesn't score. So it doesn't make sense to me and what they told me didn't make any sense, either."

What a surprise, I am shocked!

It wouldn't make sense to Gardenshire if they told him in the middle of the field, at 3pm that it was the afternoon.

Yes, the call was correct.

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Twins @ Tigers

Must C | Must C Curious: Fan appears to touch Avila's double - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

MLB.com Gameday | tigers.com: Gameday

Was the call correct?

Yes, the call was correct. In MLB, fan interference equates to elevating the umpires to gods - whatever they want is what will result.

[jdmara]

I wonder if Gardenhire thought that it wasn't touched by the spectator over the railing but just by the kid while in the stands. Either way, it was the correct call

-Josh

[Rich]

Originally Posted by jdmara

I wonder if Gardenhire thought that it wasn't touched by the spectator over the railing but just by the kid while in the stands. Either way, it was the correct call

-Josh

If it only hit the kid in the stands behind the railing, it's a 2 base award from the time of the pitch and R1 would only be awarded third. It's not spectator interference if if goes in the stands and hits a spectator.

[JJ]

If it hit that guy who reached down over the fence, it was the correct award. If it only hit the guy in the orange shirt in the stands, it was not the correct award. From the replay we know what Gardy thought, and from Darling's reaction we know what HE thought.

JJ

[TussAgee11]

Was this a minor league game? Took me 3 viewings to figure out just what was "off" about this clip.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by JJ

If it hit that guy who reached down over the fence, it was the correct award. If it only hit the guy in the orange shirt in the stands, it was not the correct award. From the replay we know what Gardy thought, and from Darling's reaction we know what HE thought.

JJ

You're saying that the first would be fan interference (dead ball, award bases as appropriate), whereas the second would simply be a fair batted ball leaving the playing field after touching the ground (dead ball, all runners 2 bases).

Good point, and you're right, their ruling tells us what the call was.

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

If it only hit the kid in the stands behind the railing, it's a 2 base award from the time of the pitch and R1 would only be awarded third. It's not spectator interference if if goes in the stands and hits a spectator.

I do realize that. I didn't word my response as well as I probably should have.

-Josh

[REFANDUMP]

The fan interference call was correct. Awarding the runner home was not, in my opinion.