Here's the sitch that happened during one of our Calvin ball games tonight: nice line drive to left center. R1 and R2 take off. Fielders converging on ball that is rapidly rolling to outfield fence... no wait... who is that in the outfield? Why it's the COACH'S DAUGHTER, who has decided to cross the outfield on her way to join her TEAM on the home side. She is not in uniform... she had a concert tonight. And one fielder has to dodge her to get to the ball. (figure the odds). So is this an interferce call on a spectator, ergo dead ball? Or a case of 'Gee, coach, don't you're players know not to cross the outfield during a game'?
This is what makes U12 and U10 ball so much fun;-)
SD

sounds like spectator interference to me.

i had a dog run out on the field and grab a fair ball and F7 had to wrestle it away from him. sadly, the offensive coach tried to argue that this wansn't spectator interference..... *sigh*...

And you replied that the dog was a spectator?

Obviously the dog was, it was spectating the ball. LOL

I think there are better ways of dealing with the issue than telling a coach a dog is a spectator.

Turning a dog into a spectator might appear to turn the umpire into part of another animal...say,part of a horse, for instance.

Which coach's daughter, offense or defense? Sure, award bases as appropriate to negate the fact that fielder had to dodge the girl. Hopefully, everyone will realize that what was awarded is what would have happened anyway, if done smartly. If in doubt, advantage to the team that does not have a coach's daughter running across the field.

"Can a player be a spectator?"

This was misleading. No player was involved.

As for the question, "Can a player be a spectator?. Yes. After you eject him.

Bob

Well, large, while I'm sure that dawg was spectatin' all over the ball, this is one place where I'd follow the MLB "F1 guns down a pigeon" precedent and roll out 9.01c.
Critter interference is a "situation not covered" by the Rules, according to well-established professional interpretation.

Then do what seems right.

[Edited by cbfoulds on Jun 9th, 2005 at 03:44 AM]

Male or female horse? :)

What if a pig runs onto the field, eats the batted ball, and the batter then scores?

An inside the pork homerun?

[Edited by tornado on Jun 9th, 2005 at 12:20 PM]

Bluezebra,
Your're right; "player" was misleading, I should have said "nonplaying team member that is not suited up for game arriving late". In hindsight, obviously, she wasn't a 'player'.

DG,
Home team had the field. It was the home team coach's daughter.

When my teen ump looked at me with that 'what do I do' look, I replied, 'not in uniform, not in the book'. He made the call. Offense was not happy. I think they could have swallowed it if it had been their player. If I'd been calling the game I think I'd said: 'Well coach, we're supposed to balance instruction with competition. I think you team just learned something. Runners are staying on the bases they made it to.'

thanks for the inputs, esp. the 'inside the pork' one.. just can't get good BBQ here in NE.

SD

So if the dog ate the ball it would be an inside the bark homerun?

What if a cow ate the ball and the batter scored would it be a.... oh yeah, that doesn't rhyme... never mind....