Clarification for non-baseball people
 

Last night during a MLB game, the announcer stated that catcher obstruction is an immediate dead ball. Is it? :confused:


Of course, he called it "catcher interference" and suggested CI for scorekeeping. :rolleyes:

Of course, in MLB and NCAA, it *is* CI. Only FED uses CO.

Whether it's immediately dead or not depends on what happens.

Did CI actually happen in the game? What game?

Astros at Rockies, channel flipping ;), don't remember who did it.
I think CO (irony) catcher, announcer said he is infamous for doing it.

Runner on 3rd trying to score as BR ran to 1st.

channel flipping;) , not really watching the game.

Still very helpful, I see.

So -- CI, batter hit ball? In that case, the ball is not dead until the play is complete.

If BR and all runners advance, the CI is ignored.

If not, it's enforced (BR to first; runners return unless stealing) unless the offense chooses to take the play instead of the penalty.

Astros at Rockies, 7/25, top 4.
Runners at the corners, Reddick clips F2s glove but hits a dribbler to the pitcher who muffs it and and it's fielded by one of the infielders. Reddick stays there pointing at the glove while PU Layne points it and waits for something to happen. Typical CI goatrope. Infielder finally tosses the ball to 1B and I guess Layne then awarded Reddick 1B, forcing R1 to 2B and he returned R3, who had scored on the goatrope, to 3B. As expected at this level, game proceeded with no effort by Layne to ask the manager if he wanted the penalty or the play (run scored, batter out and R1 safe at 2B) and the manager did not come out.

The enforcement sounds right to me and is consistent with what I wrote.

I would agree. But the MLB tv that I paid for is a little unclear as it does not show the complete "show". We have to assume that the infielder lobbed a throw to 1B and then U1 called the out and then the PU awarded the bases. The announcers made all of this clear of course.

question #2
 

In softball, if a runner is called for INT, the ball is dead and the runners returned to the last base touched.

In last night's LL Southwest Regional, a BR who bunted was out for INT because of not being in the running lane. There had been runners on 1st and 2nd, both had reached the next base at the time of the INT.
However, after a meeting of 4 umpires and the plate umpire talking to someone by phone; the runners were returned to their prior bases.

Is baseball different in this way, or did I misunderstand the ruling, or were they wrong? :confused:

I doubt very seriously that the runners reached the next base before the INT, especially when there is no lead offs in this LL division.

As for FED, it's TOI. Other rule sets may be TOP with the BR. Others will clarify!

On RLI, runners return TOP, unless there has been an intervening play.

You can doubt all you want, but I was watching and replayed a few times. :rolleyes:

Just for clarity, RLI has a different effect from other INT plays.

The announcer is incorrect. Catcher's Interference is the proper term for anything other than NFHS rules (obstruction only involves a fielder impeding a runner attempting to reach a base), and it is a delayed dead ball (umpires wait to see what happened, and then award bases based on what occurred). Unlike balks, where the outcome is automatic (either every runner, including the batter-runner, advances safely at least one base as permitted by rule, or the balk penalty is enforced (the pitch, if any, does not count, and all runners advance one base), there is an option for the manager to either enforce the catcher's interference penalty (the batter is awarded 1st base, runners advance 1 base if forced, and any runners who are stealing are awarded the base that they were trying to steal) or accept the result of the play. There is a special case with a runner trying to score from 3rd that is both catcher's interference and a balk (catcher [or another fielder] steps in front of home plate without the ball, or touches the batter, including his bat), and is enforced as both (the ball is dead immediately, the runner from 3rd is awarded home plate,the batter is awarded 1st base, and all other runners advance as if it was a balk).