Ball hits mitt then bat

[bsaucer]

What is the ruling?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IFD8W5KVMY

[scrounge]

For high school, as much as might seem 'unfair' or unintentional, this is batters interference and the batter is out.

[Rich Ives]

For OBR the ball is dead. it's a strike. If strike three batter is out (and can't advance because the ball is dead.) Runners return.

[robbie]

I don't think we can definitively tell from the video, but before making a call one would need to "judge" what actually happened.

Swing and miss, Ball off glove, Bat hits ball.

OR

Swing with contact to ball (foul ball), Ball off glove, Bat hits ball.

[robbie]

Originally Posted by robbie

I don't think we can definitively tell from the video, but before making a call one would need to "judge" what actually happened.

Swing and miss, Ball off glove, Bat hits ball.

OR

Swing with contact to ball (foul ball), Ball off glove, Bat hits ball.

I watch and listened several times. At first I thought ball was fouled and then hit again after the glove.

However, judging by everyone's reactions, I guess I should conclude it was a swing and miss (Reacting as though an uncaught third strike.)

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by bsaucer

What is the ruling?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IFD8W5KVMY

the same as it is on any "follow-through" interference. The usual case is that the swing hits the glove, but this is no different (from a rules perspective).

[MD Longhorn]

Nice immediate call by the ump.

[BSBAL18]

So it is my understanding that a "follow through" interference is batter-interference and NOT catchers interference. If the downswing of the batter is clean, ball is caught, and then the followthru of the batter's swing contacts the catchers mitt, this is *not* catchers interference and the call is a Strike.

Is that correct?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Mark, Jr., and I have watched this video and by rule the ball is live and when the action ended the Batter/Runner is safe at 1B.

The video shows the Batter swinging and missing for Strike 3. The pitch hits F2's glove and F2 fails to catch the pitch. The ball ricochets from F2's glove and makes contacts with the Batter's bat on the Batter's follow through. Nothing illegal has happened per NFHS Baseball Rules.

MTD, Sr.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by BSBAL18

So it is my understanding that a "follow through" interference is batter-interference and NOT catchers interference. If the downswing of the batter is clean, ball is caught, and then the followthru of the batter's swing contacts the catchers mitt, this is *not* catchers interference and the call is a Strike.

Is that correct?

True, it is not catcher's interference.

Here is the OBR rule:

If a batter strikes at a ball and misses and swings so hard he carries the bat all the way around and, in the umpire’s judgment, unintentionally hits the catcher or the ball in back of him on the backswing, it shall be called a strike only (not interference). The ball will be dead, however, and no runner shall advance on the play.

In OBR for the play at hand the ball is dead, it's a strike. B-R cannot advance because the ball is dead. Runners return.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Mark, Jr., and I have watched this video and by rule the ball is live and when the action ended the Batter/Runner is safe at 1B.

The video shows the Batter swinging and missing for Strike 3. The pitch hits F2's glove and F2 fails to catch the pitch. The ball ricochets from F2's glove and makes contacts with the Batter's bat on the Batter's follow through. Nothing illegal has happened per NFHS Baseball Rules.

MTD, Sr.

I direct you to the 2010 NFHS Interpretations:

SITUATION 17: With R1 on first attempting to steal second base, B2 swings and misses as the ball hits the catcher’s mitt and pops up in the air. B2’s follow-through hits the ball to the backstop. RULING: This is batter interference and the ball is declared dead. B2 is out and R1 is returned to first base. (7-3-5c penalty)

[rcaverly]

2-21-4 . . . Follow-through interference is when the bat hits the catcher after the batter has swung at a pitch and hinders action at home plate or the catcher’s attempt to play on a runner.

7-3-5 . . . Interfere with the catcher's fielding or throwing by:
c. making any other movement, including follow-through interference, which hinders actions at home plate or the catcher's attempt to play on a runner...

PENALTY: When there are two outs, the batter is out. When there are not two outs and the runner is advancing to home plate, if the runner is tagged out, the ball remains live and interfer¬ence is ignored. Otherwise, the ball is dead and the runner is called out. When an attempt to put out a runner at any other base is unsuccessful, the ¬batter is out and all runners must return to bases occupied at the time of the pitch. If the pitch is a third strike and in the umpire's judgment interference prevents a possible double play (additional outs), two may be ruled out (8-4-2g).

7.3.5 SITUATION F:
With R1 on third, one out and two strikes on B3, B3 swings at and misses the pitch. The ball bounces off F2’s glove into the air, where it is hit by B3’s follow-through. The ball rolls to the back stop. B3 reaches first base safely and R1 scores.
RULING: The ball is dead immediately. B3 is out for interference and R1 returns to third base. A batter is entitled to an uninterrupted opportunity to hit the ball, just as the catcher is entitled to an uninterrupted opportunity to field the ball. Once the batter swings, he is responsible for his follow-through.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by BSBAL18

So it is my understanding that a "follow through" interference is batter-interference

Correct in FED.

In OBR, it falls in a category called "weak interference" -- the ball is dead, it's just a strike to the batter, the batter cannot try for first if it's strike three, other runners return. There's no out for the interference (if the pitch was strike three, the batter is out on strikes).