Obstruction or Interference? Tricky call

[Durham]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Maybe this will help. Here are two authoritative opinions that concur with what you've been told here. The first one is from Evans.

Situations:

The batter hits a ground ball to the second baseman...he deflects the ball and it rolls several feet from him The runner from first collides with the second baseman as he goes after the ball. Is this interference by the runner?

RULING:

On the contrary...this is obstruction by the second baseman. Since he had a chance to field the ball but muffed it out of reach...he may not impede the runner. (According to pro interpretations, a fielder still has a right to field the batted ball if it is in his "immediate reach"...the guideline generally used is “a step and a reach.”



Now here's what Roder says:


A fielder cannot be privileged if he is chasing a batted ball that has been deflected or missed. If, however, he is trying to field a ball that has been deflected by another fielder, he can be privileged.


I don't see how your scenario with the second baseman applies here. In the play we're discussing the pitcher didn't have possession of the ball at the time of the contact. Trying to pull out the old CSFP argument for interference doesn't get it either here.


Tim.

Tim in Jim's stich the 2nd baseman is chasing the ball and not picking it up or has it in his hand. It is also a 2nd baseman and not a pitcher.

Roder also states chasing, this pitcher wasn't chasing it, he either had it or was picking it up, fielding it, not chasing.

I don't need to and I won't name drop, but 4 people were asked to assist the conference commisioner in his decision making process, 3 of us were in agreement that it was int. 1 felt it was obs. I was the least senior of the 4, but 2 are CWS umpires and 1 a DI conference coordinator. I'll stick with the 2 that looked at the original video, talked with the 2 umpires, both called me after the game, and ruled on this specific play.

We do feel that pending the outcome of the protest, the NCAA would be wise to define chasing. If the ball is deflected, does chasing end when the fielder has the ball in hand or when it is in his immediate reach?