When TIME on coach interference

[David Emerling]

Originally posted by kylejt
Fair enough.

As the coach grabs the runner at third, F8 tries to gun him at third and instead throws it into the stands.

Dead ball, but do you award bases?

If it's a dead ball on the interference, like the book says, you don't.

But if it's a delayed dead ball you do.

Interesting.

(not so third world, I've seen it twice.(Second world?))

The ball remains live for the purpose of allowing the defense to obtain additional outs - not for the purpose of allowing the offense to benefit by continued action.

I presume you constructed your example to highlight the inappropriateness of continued action because the defense made a play on a runner who was already out and, by continuing the play, the offense benefited. Correct?

I don't know if this would a be a reasonable interpretation but it would seem that if the defense was making a play that stemmed directly and immediately (as in your example) from an interference situation, that it might be appropriate to kill the ball because of the extreme peculiarity of the situation.

Once it becomes obvious that the defense can obtain no additional outs (as in your example), I could see killing the play. But only after that is obvious.

And in your example, it would be obvious. How could the defense possible register any "additional outs" when they are making a play on a runner who is already out?

Although I cannot be certain, I think the point of the interpretation is to allow any additional outs that might occur.

A better and more realistic example might be as follows:

PLAY: R2. Base hit into center field. F8 bobbles the ball as the third base coach sends R2 home and the BR attempts to advance to 2nd. R2 slips rounding 3rd and the coach helps him to his feet. R2, still scores easily. But F8 recovers the ball and makes a direct throw to 2nd, retiring the BR.

That is a perfectly reasonable play that would justify the umpire allowing the ball to remain live. R2 is out for the coach's interference and the BR is also out on live action.

If the BR ends up safe at 2nd, sure, an argument can be made that the offense still benefited by continued action. But at least the defense got the opportunity to register an out.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[Edited by David Emerling on Feb 11th, 2005 at 08:30 PM]