Obstruction or interference

Carl Childress · #20 (**permalink**) Fri Dec 02, 2005, 09:20am

Quote:

Originally posted by David B

Quote:

Originally posted by Carl Childress
Very well reasoned by Kaliix - and unassailable as far as FED rules go.

Pending a ruling, the TASO education committee, at my urging, removed this very question from the 2006 state test.

The case book at 3.2.2A is wonderfully ambiguous. Dead ball on a home run over the fence. Coach helps a runner to his feet: "He [the runner] is allowed to score with this type of assistance by the third-base coach."

Now, does "this type" refer only to assisting the runner to rise? Or does it refer to any assistance ("Touch that base, boy!) during a dead ball?

I agree with you. It is an oversight. The "common sense" solution is to call out the runner because of coach interference.

A parallel example: The defense with a dead ball attempts the hidden ball play. The umpire erronesouly puts the ball in play (the pitcher doesn't have it on the mound), and the first baseman tags out R1. It's a balk, right?

Wrong? The ball is dead, so the actions of the defense, though "illegal," cannot be punished.

IF an umpire wants to penalize this dead-ball "interference," he may do so, because of the ambiguity of 3.2.2A, by invoking 10-2-3g, the FED "points not covered" rule: "Hey, coach, everybody saw you keep that runner from missing a base. Heck, common sense tells us...."

Again, I commend you for the thoroughness of your research. I'm copying your post and sending it up the chain of command for an official ruling.

I see the point you are making, but I still can't find it in the rule to call him out.

I see this practically the same as the coach helping the runner to his feet who fell down?

And then we have the major league example of Mark McGuire as precedence? (g)

Just thinking aloud this morning, but also still can't find it to call him out.

Thanks
David [/B]

David: It's another of those "expected" and accepted calls. (grin)

It's an easy call to sell, by the way. Likely, the offense would not complain.

On the other hand, try letting that runner score and see what the defense would say.

Lah, me: By rule you're right, of course. But when did that ever matter? (another grin)