Baserunner Called Out

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by josephrt1

Guys, I don't do baseball and actually never read this forum but stumbled across this. The answer to this post didn't seem right to me and i looked in the 2015 MLB rule book. On page 63, rule 6.01 it states:

"If, however, the runner has contact with a legally occupied base when he hinders the fielder, he shall not be called out unless, in the umpire’s judgment, such hindrance, whether it occurs on fair or foul territory, is intentional. If the umpire declares the hindrance intentional, the following penalty shall apply: With less than two out, the umpire shall declare both the runner and batter out. With two out, the umpire shall declare the batter out."

This reads to me like the base is a safe place and unless the runner does something to intentionally interfere, the runner would not be out.

Wrong rule. That is about interfering with a fielder. This play is about interfering with the batted ball.

6.01 (a) Batter or Runner Interference
It is interference by a batter or a runner when:

(11) A fair ball touches him on fair territory before touching a
fielder. If a fair ball goes through, or by, an infielder, and
touches a runner immediately back of him, or touches the
runner after having been deflected by a fielder, the
umpire shall not declare the runner out for being touched
by a batted ball. In making such decision the umpire must
be convinced that the ball passed through, or by, the
fielder, and that no other infielder had the chance to make
a play on the ball. If, in the judgment of the umpire, the
runner deliberately and intentionally kicks such a batted
ball on which the infielder has missed a play, then the
runner shall be called out for interference.

PENALTY FOR INTERFERENCE: The runner is out
and the ball is dead.