If Ford Frick had been the umpire, McGwire would have been called out.

My game journal is approaching 4000 games. In all that time, I've had <b><font size = 6>ONE</b></font> interference call on a first-base coach. The third-base coach, my American Legion partner the previous summer, came rushing down: "When I saw Bobby do it, I said to myself, 'He's gonna call it!'"

R1. He takes his lead, the pitcher throws over, he goes back into the base <i>standing up</i>. The first baseman tags him strongly a la Kent Hrbek.

Parenthetically, here's what baseballlibrary.com has to say about that famous play that helped Minnesota win the 1991 World Series:<blockquote>[Gant tries to return to first.] Although Gant reached the bag safely, he was struggling to keep his balance when Hrbek subtly pushed his leg off the base and applied a tag. Gant was called out, ending the inning.</blockquote> The subtle push was a hard tag on the air-borne leg.

Gant fell off the base. R1 at Pharr didn't - because the first-base coach steadied him until he regained his balance. Old Smitty, in B, did nothing.

I called him out.

When Smitty wanted to know why I'd busted in on "his" play, I said that I knew he'd been straightlined and couldn't see. Smitty was not known for busting to get an angle.

So, I guess I was correct? I didn't see you acknowledge such, just repeated requests to test my knowledge and judgement. I imagine that if I kicked it you would have been all over the post.


Does McNeely speak for the NFHS anymore? I read somewhere that he is no longer doing that.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DG
[B]That explains it. I was leaning toward the dead ball to differentiate the two. I could just see the fireworks when the out is called after awarding home.

Thanks for clarifying your view, and for reinforcing my thoughts.

As I said, "C. Just because."

JJ

Oddly enough, i found a similar play on a rules quiz (http://www.macroweb.com/ibrules/bqpg0105.htm).

Here's the play (OBR):


Runner on 2nd base with two outs. Batter hits one over the fence. As R2 rounds third he trips on the base and falls down. The third base coach helps him up and he continues home. What's the call?

Answer: Nobody is out and both runs count.

Reference: Rules 5.02, 7.05(a)

Explanation: As long as all runners legally touch the bases while advancing to home, they can touch anybody they wish. The batter or any of the runners could be carried around the bases on the shoulders of his teammates as long as he comes down and touches each base as he reaches it.
Question written by: Jim Booth, visit Jim's Umpire's Corner.



Is this accurate?

I've seen this, too. Don't recall reading the explanation, though. I guess as long as the preceding runner isn't passed, he could be carried. That's a bit of a stretch for a simple, "the ball was dead" explanation, which is the explanation given here.

I've read that as long as a preceding runner is not passed, that it is legal to assist a runner when the ball is dead. The following runner may help push the runner in front of him, just as long as he does not pass him up.

Where I read this, I can't seem to find, but it was an official rule interp of some sort.

Okay, let's see...

We have a bases loaded fence clearing home run in a Fed game. The batters were off on the pitch since it was 3-2 and the kid on first is Mr. Track Star! They watch the ball clear and start the trot, except that Mr. Track Star is now on the heals of Mr. Piano Carrier. PC trips over third and goes down. The third basecoach sees what is happening and puts up the stop sign to TS, only he is mugging for the home team fans and celebrating that they've now taken the lead against a bitter rival. The third base coach puts his hands out and stops the runner by pushing him in the chest. TS snaps out of it and grins sheepishly that he almost passed PC! You are a terrific umpire and have kept the home team back from play and are watching all of the action at third. What do you call?

This is not as Third World as it sounds. I had a batter hit one out in a game and he was sprinting around first since he didn't know if it had enough to carry the right field fence. The runner on first went half way, thought it was caught and actually collided with the batter as he got towards first! The first base coach picked up the batter and screamed at the runner. It is a strange game...

Third?
 

What runner at third?

Actually, it would depend on how well I knew the coach as to the stern warning that he would receive.

thanks
David

The batters were off on the pitch? How many batters were there?

Was Mr. Track Star a faith healer as he was on Mr. Piano Carrier's heals?

That's what happens when you type too fast. Spell check would never catch the latter and the first was just thinking ahead of my fingers.

Regardless, SDS, I did not see your answer - again.

As for a warning - wholly inappropriate unless this game was t-ball level. It was stated as being otherwise.

WWWWWWWWTTTTTTTBBBBBB,

In all fairness, the spell check doesn't work on this site.
I only mentioned it because of that fourth grade writing comment a while back.:D

My answer is that it's O-tay! The coach can pick that runner up, dust him off, spin him around like a top, kick him in the peepee, and point him at the next base, and as long as the following runner (Mr. Speedy) doesn't pass him, no problem. When the ball is dead, interference cannot occur. Period.

Okay, he also can punch Mr. Track Star in the grill as far as I'm concerned. Ball's dead. Playing action ends when ball is dead, by rule.

[Edited by SanDiegoSteve on Dec 1st, 2005 at 05:46 PM]

Spell check exists on my computer though. Again, you tend to read more into it than was provided.

You need to rethink your answer. The coach prevented the runner from passing the one on the ground and causing an out. His actions are illegal - dead ball or not. Check 5-1-2f to see what it means.

Read 5-1-2(f) again carefully. Actually, start with 5-1-2. It is for a delayed dead ball situation. That isn't applicable in the case of an over the fence homerun. The ball immediately became dead the second it left the park. 5-1-2(f) is for when a ball is alive and in play. Find anywhere in the rules that says coaches interference can occur when the ball is dead, and then get back to me. But not until.