Why they hire 2 (or more) umpires
 

PLAY:

My first game yesterday:

Umpire in C position, 2 outs. (In other words, I know we had runners, but I forget how they were positioned.)

B1 hits a foul popup in the direction of the first base dugout, near the fence. The PU drifts over with the catcher while I witness a violent, unintentional collision between the BR and F1 who had come off the mound to go after the pop-up (even though there was no way he was going to be able to catch it). F1, having taken the worst of the collision, gets up and throws his glove at the BR. F2 catches the popup near the fence.

That's it. Rule on it for OBR and FED.

HTBT, but off the top of my head, I got BR out for the caught popup, and a warning or ejection on F1, depending if glove hit BR or not...If I felt that BR could have avoided contact and didnt, then interference on BR, and any advancing runners go back....FED

BR is out and dump F1 regardless of what code you are playing.

The only thing you can do under FED rules is call malicious contact or nothing. If you do not deem there is MC, then the runner can be ejected. If not then you have got nothing. I had the very same play happen a couple of years ago in the post season and I called nothing. The players just ran into each other and in my opinion there was nothing malicious on either player's part.

I almost forgot; eject the pitcher for his throwing the glove afterwards. But that has nothing to do with the actual pay.

Peace

But what about the thrown glove???

Surely you have to at least warn, if not eject, for attempting to hit an opponent with a piece of equipment.

F1 is guilty of Obstruction, which is disregarded because F2 legally caught the batted ball in flight.

BR out.

F1 warned/ejected for USC, depending on the particulars.

JM

You obviously did not read my edit before you posted. ;)

Peace

This would've been my answer if you hadn't beat me to it, Coach. Therefore, I'm just going to quote you. :)

I would not rule interference on the BR since he did not interfere with a player trying to make a catch, but I would call him out since F2 caught his popup.

F1 would be ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Now if BR did interfere with an attempted catch, that's where OBR and FED are different as to the penalties.

Thanks
David

Coach, to add on one thing. If the ball went uncaught and landed in foul territory and stayed foul, I would think that there would be no obstruction anyways.

Welpe,

I would agree - in that case, no obstruction, no out.

JM

This one seems cut and dried. But considering who made the post, perhaps we're missing something. Perhaps the fact that the collission/ejection(s) occurred before the ball was caught matters? If the answer is anything other than what was posted above, I'm grasping at straws.

My first reaction is the same as the rest though - out on the catch, F1 tossed.

Interference on BR? You can only protect 1 player making the play. No interference. None.

I appreciate that, but no, it pretty much happened as reported.

I called the obstruction, watched F1 throw the glove, watched F2 catch the ball. Then I wiped off the obstruction and ejected F1. Inning over.

It's been a boring season. Just a play to show that sometimes it seems as though you won't have anything to do and then something unfolds before your eyes.

I'm afraid you're right. I had a lovely episode a couple weeks ago. Two good teams playing at a down-at-the-heels former minor league park. Close play at the plate, and the runner crashes F2. I call him out and eject him. As I'm ejecting the runner, F2 stands up and kicks the runner hard in the gut. Naturally, I eject him, too.

Fortunately, everyone had the good sense to leave it alone and play the rest of the game (and the second half of the DH) without incident. Sheesh.