Batter Interference?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by 3appleshigh

Another type:

What is your requirement to call int. on a batter in the follow senario's

a) R1 stealling, Batter, swings hard at a good pitch "grove ball" and misses, momentum taking him across the plate one or two steps. Catcher throws the balll -- What do you require to rule int on the Batter, Contact, a bad throw or is him being there enough.

b) R1 stealing Batter Swings and misses a nasty outside curveball, and his momentum carries him over the plate in the same manner as above. Catcher throws the balll -- What do you require to rule int on the Batter, Contact, a bad throw or is him being there enough.

In both situations the batter does nothing to duck or make sure he is out of the way.

There is no intent required for Interference in these cases. The only question in the original was concerning the backswing/follow-through ruling. What you are describing is interference, as long as you judge that the batter's actions contributed to the catcher's bad throw. If the throw does not retire the runner, call the batter out for INT, and send the runner back. The batter just being there is not enough for INT, BTW.