Batter Interference?

[David Emerling]

edhern,

Just to be curious - what did you call the pitch? A ball or a strike? And why?

If you said that he made no attempt to hit the ball - then it clearly could not be a swinging strike because the #1 criteria for a swinging strike is that the atter "offered" at the pitch.

I'd have to see this play, but I would not be too quick to call it interference.

Another similar problem is when a batter swings SO LATE at a pitch, in an obvious attempt to protect the runner, that it becomes very borderline. Is it a swing or is it interference? It can be a gray area.

I once saw a batter swing so incredibly late that I ruled it to be NOT a legitimate attempt to offer at the ball, rather, an attempt to interfere. Maybe that's what you had.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN