runner struck by thrown ball

[SAump]

Any runner within 6-10 feet of the bag has obviously chose NOT to slide. The baserunner who elects NOT to slide has basically given himself UP at the SAC in order to break up a possible double play. His only remaining object is to force or alter the direction of the throw to first base by standing straight UP in the pathway. Errant throw aside, is a leading baserunner on a possible double play ball allowed to run straight into a base without sliding?

Basemen who must contend with a runner who slides hard in an attempt to break up a double play are NOT protected past the back edge of the bag. Most pivot men are taught to release the ball at a height that would force the runner to slide early as a measure of safety or self-preservation. A second baseman may react differently to grown adult running straight UP at full speed in his direction. Perhaps this fear of hitting a grown man between the eyes is cause of errant throw from the pivot man into the baserunner's thigh. Are basemen protected from runners who refuse to slide?

If you don't call it interference, then you will begin to see more and more "heavy" baserunners do the same thing, that is refuse to slide and run in straight UP. If it wasn't interference, then we would definitely have more of these situation occur daily. I would call it intereference based on the fact that it doesn't occur in this regard as often as predicted. The nature of the act is simply INTERFERENCE.