If the catcher is blocking the plate

[BBLover]

On a play at home, and he does not have the ball or the ball is not on the way to him, what is the call if the runner takes out the catcher? (High School Level). Wha is the runner supposed to do, go around the catcher, slide into him?

[bob jenkins]

Originally posted by BBLover
On a play at home, and he does not have the ball or the ball is not on the way to him, what is the call if the runner takes out the catcher? (High School Level).

Probably malicious contact (depending on what you mean by "takes out") -- out and ejection.

Wha is the runner supposed to do, go around the catcher, slide into him?

Either of those would work. The catcher would be guilty of obstruction.

[Gee]

"On a play at home, and he does not have the ball or the ball is not on the way to him, what is the call if the runner takes out the catcher?
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If the catcher does not have the ball or the ball is not coming to him where is the play? G.

[rmstone]

I did a tournament two weeks ago and had this same thing happen... the ball was overthrown into center field, no play anywhere near...

The PU called him out and ejected him... and he was the winning run in a tied ballgame... which they went on to lose... the coach wasn't happy...

Theres no play, no obstruction since theres no play, and no need for a runner to take him out...

[DG]

Originally posted by rmstone
I did a tournament two weeks ago and had this same thing happen... the ball was overthrown into center field, no play anywhere near...

The PU called him out and ejected him... and he was the winning run in a tied ballgame... which they went on to lose... the coach wasn't happy...

Theres no play, no obstruction since theres no play, and no need for a runner to take him out...

I raised two catcher's in my house. I have no sympathy for the coach or anyone else associated with the team that had the malicious contactor. Drawing a line on me might not even set off a firecracker, but malicious contact will definitely light my rocket.

[DG]

Originally posted by BBLover
On a play at home, and he does not have the ball or the ball is not on the way to him, what is the call if the runner takes out the catcher? (High School Level). Wha is the runner supposed to do, go around the catcher, slide into him?

When I used to coach I always taught the runners to try to slide, feet first, toward the back third of the plate (the pointy end), and also drag the left hand across the plate on the way by. The catcher either does not make the play, or we may get an obstruction call if he is truly blocking the plate, when he is not entitled to do so. And of course, when I coached the catchers on my team on when they could block the plate and how to do it I also told them they should be ready to tag someone who is sliding away from them trying to reach the back of the plate. What comes around goes around.

[WindyCityBlue]

Bob did a good job with trying to actually answer the question.

The catcher or any fielder for that matter, must be in the action of attempting an imminent catch. A lot of us read this rule to be that the ball must be on the way...that's the safest course. But how far up the line or away from the base do we let him go? Many of us were taught that a step up the third baseline puts you on the outer edge of the box. I let them get there, since any further and the kid isn't throwing directly to the base for the play. How long can he camp out? It is always the runners responsibility to avoid the contact, especially with mulitple runners scoring ahead of the play at the dish. If he obstructs either of those guys, it will be obvious. But the bigger question is on a throw from center or right, we don't let him camp up the line beyond the box - again, the throw is to the base, not up the line! The runner has three feet on either side of the line to go around him, but this guy has just narrowed the angle of attack. If you set up third base extended, you should have a great angle for obstruction, out of the baseline, malicious contact and safe/out. Good luck!

[DG]

The catcher must station himself to catch the ball that is thrown. If that is several feet up the 3B line then so beit. He is stil judged by me, the home plate umpire, as either ok, or obstruction, depending on where the ball is and whether he had to be there to recieve the throw. I can count on one hand the obstruction calls on catchers for blocking the plate when they do not have the right to do so. Being up the line to catch a ball that is thrown toward home is almost always nothing. In fact, I can't recall calling obstruction on a catcher who is moving up the line to catch a throw that is off-line.

[WindyCityBlue]

The catcher must station himself to catch the ball that is thrown. If that is several feet up the 3B line then so be it.

Where is the ball coming from? If he stations himself up the third baseline to catch a toss from the outfield, he is in serious jeopardy. He belongs back at the dish or within a tag of it. depending on the level of athlete, most outfielders throw to the player, they can't see the dish. If the guy is way up the line in order to slow him down, he is at risk of being called for obstruction. Where you will see this is when the bags are loaded and the catcher stands there yelling out his directions - only he makes the runners go around him!

I don't diagree with you that it is going to be a tough call, but we penalize the guys that cheat. Calling for a throw up the line and causing the guy to slide too early is cheating in my book.

[DG]

Originally posted by WindyCityBlue
The catcher must station himself to catch the ball that is thrown. If that is several feet up the 3B line then so be it.

Where is the ball coming from? If he stations himself up the third baseline to catch a toss from the outfield, he is in serious jeopardy. He belongs back at the dish or within a tag of it. depending on the level of athlete, most outfielders throw to the player, they can't see the dish. If the guy is way up the line in order to slow him down, he is at risk of being called for obstruction. Where you will see this is when the bags are loaded and the catcher stands there yelling out his directions - only he makes the runners go around him!

I don't diagree with you that it is going to be a tough call, but we penalize the guys that cheat. Calling for a throw up the line and causing the guy to slide too early is cheating in my book.

I was not suggesting that he position himself up the line, but if that is where the ball is thrown he can't stand at the plate and watch the ball whistle by 3-4 feet up the line, he has to go up the line to get it.

[WindyCityBlue]

Yes, but if he camps out there - as a lot of coaches are teaching - in order to get the throw up the line, thus impeding the runner, it is probably going to result in an obstruction call.

The luxury of my life is that I always have at least one and most time two partners. When I'm on the dish, I don't worry about clearing the bat (that is the on deck batter's job). I'm watching and listening to the catcher. If I hear him yell "Four", and I see him setting up for a throw way down the line, I'm more likely to watch how this affects the baserunner. I've had some top catchers set up on the inside the third baseline, with the runners from second and third coming around to score. These guys extend their glove hands into the running lane so that the runners have to go around - thus slowing them down. This is a bush move, but it does happen. I've also had the catcher hold onto his mask and purposely drop it at the last moment - right in front of the plate! I kicked that f*ing thing about twenty feet. He tried that later with another crew mate and he wound up getting tossed. These players are trying everthing to gain an advantage. Be aware.

[DG]

Originally posted by WindyCityBlue
Yes, but if he camps out there - as a lot of coaches are teaching - in order to get the throw up the line, thus impeding the runner, it is probably going to result in an obstruction call.

The luxury of my life is that I always have at least one and most time two partners. When I'm on the dish, I don't worry about clearing the bat (that is the on deck batter's job). I'm watching and listening to the catcher. If I hear him yell "Four", and I see him setting up for a throw way down the line, I'm more likely to watch how this affects the baserunner. I've had some top catchers set up on the inside the third baseline, with the runners from second and third coming around to score. These guys extend their glove hands into the running lane so that the runners have to go around - thus slowing them down. This is a bush move, but it does happen. I've also had the catcher hold onto his mask and purposely drop it at the last moment - right in front of the plate! I kicked that f*ing thing about twenty feet. He tried that later with another crew mate and he wound up getting tossed. These players are trying everthing to gain an advantage. Be aware.

If the catcher moves up the line before the ball is even released and calls for the ball there and it is thrown there I am far more likely to call obstruction than if he is set up in front of the plate and has to move up the line to catch an errant throw.