Enforce Balk or not

[Gorkes]

I got into a funny situation last weekend and I'm not sure if I did the right thing:
There was R2.
Now the pitcher balks (no stop) and R2 steals 3rd.
The balk is called, but the batter tries to hit the ball even so.
On the swing, there's a catcher's interference.

What did I do:
I placed the batter on 1st for interference and R2 on 3rd, because he was stealing the base (didn't find that part in the rules (yet) , but I thought when a runner is stealing and the catcher interferes, the runner can advance, if he's not stealing he stays unless forced to advance).
Of course now the coach comes out to argue, saying that it was a balk and therefore R2 gets to 3rd but batter goes back to bat.
I explain him my decision and that because Batter got to 1st and R2 advanced a base, I did not enforce the balk that was called earlier on the play.

What is the correct ruling?
- R2 to 3rd and batter to 1st
- batter to 1st, R2 stays
- R2 to 3rd, batter back to the box
-> beacause R2 stayed, the balk is enforced

thx for ur help

[ref49873]

under FED rules when you called the balk the ball is dead immedately and therefore, no interference could occur. You would put the runner at third and the batter stays at bat with the count from the point prior to the balk.

Under OBR, a balk is a delayed dead ball, and if the batter becomes a runner and reaches 1st by hit or award and all other runners advance 1 base the balk is ignored. That sounds like what you did.

All depneds on which rule set you were using.

Dave

[Gorkes]

there is no immediate dead ball on the balk...

Anyway, I was wondering if my ruling was correct.
Does anyone know the passage in the rulebook (I'm checking the ones on mlb.com) with a runner trying to steal when there is a catcher's interference?

Because if my feeling is wrong (runner can stay on 3rd), then he would be at 2nd, therefore not one base further, so I would have enforced the balk and got the Runner to 3rd and the batter to hit with the count prior to the balk.

thx

[UmpJM]

Gorkes,

As Dave said, your ruling was correct under OBR & incorrect under FED, for the reasons he stated.

The part about stealing runners keeping their advance base on a CI is from (OBR):

7.04
Each runner, other than the batter, may without liability to be put out, advance one base when --

(d) While he is attempting to steal a base, the batter is interfered with by the catcher or any other fielder.

JM

[Gorkes]

oh, thx a lot, appreciate it !

Why couldn't I find that

guess because I was stuck in chap. 6