interference
 

Play:
FED. bases loaded, 0 outs. fly ball to F7 and caught. R3 tag up and go. Ball is off the mark and F2 is about 6ft up the line, 3-4 ft in the grass to field the ball. F2 fields throw and tags R3 for the out. R3 slaps at the ball and knocks it out of F2's glove. PU judges interference.

Place the BR, R1 and R2. Who else, if anyone, is out.

Please site your rule.

I dont have the rulebook in front of me for rules reference but I would imagine that R3 is out for interference, BR is out for caught fly ball. R1 and R2 would be remain at the last base they legally advanced to. In this case they would more than likely remain at first and second since they wouldnt have reached another base before the interference.

Alan:

I have the BR out on the catch. R3 out for the interference 8-4-2(r). And, if the catcher was deprived of the opportunity to make a play on R2 as he advanced then I have R2 out as well for a triple play. 8-4-2(g)


Tim.

I can't call a triple play here: no way you get both R3 AND R2 (absent interference), unless R2 is walking to 3B.

I like the Reznor's answer: BR out on the catch, R3 out on the interference, other runners back to bases last touched at TOI.

can you justify calling BR out?

Alan,

Since, in your original sitch, he hit a fly ball that the F7 legally caught, I certainly can't justify NOT calling him out. ;)

JM

Absolutely. His fly ball was caught prior to the INT, so the ball is live when this happened. Of course BR is out, that's what started this whole mess. Nothing illegal had happened at this point. BR is out when...(8.4.1.c) his fair hit or foul (...) is caught by a fielder,...

I'd have to agree with BigUmp on this one. Rules allow the option to get "another" out if IN YOUR JUDGEMENT the INT prevented a "double play." There is a possibility that R2 was advancing on the throw to home. A well coached offense would do just that, IMHO. Otherwise, Reznor has it right to put them back at the last legally occupied base.

So (BU quoted the rules), but BR out on fly ball to F7, R3 out on INT. R1 and R2 remain, unless you have the "DP" sitch to also retire R2 for the triple play (HTBT).

Dang it...I got in a hurry...

let's tweak the sitch...and the fly ball to F7 is not caught...now can anyone, in anyway, justify calling BR out?

Ok, that changes things JUST A LITTLE.

Batter's hit, which entitled him to become a runner (BR), occurred prior to any illegal action. So envoking rule 8.1.1.a - A batter becomes a runner...when he hits a fair ball.

This also changes the placement of the runners. Since BR obtaining 1B on the hit forces R1 and R2 to advance they do so, bases loaded. UNLESS (and this is more possible with the force out at 3B) you judge that a possible DP was prevented by the INT. Then you indeed get two outs, BR now at 1B, R1 has moved to 2B. You get the 2nd out on R2 at 3B also if you are not sure where else the DP would have occurred. Get the runner closest to home.

That was my first thought anyway. Looking at the rule book 8.4.1.h states that a "BR is OUT if any runner or retired runner interferes in a way which obviously hinders an obvious DP." You could get R3 out for INT and BR out for the teammate's INT, return runners R1/R2 to their original bases.

So now I ask you, which thought process is correct?