batter kicks the ball out of play

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by DG

Read the sitch again, the catcher didn't knock it into DBT, the batter did.

Tim was only addressing OP play #1. You are referring to play #2.

[DG]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Tim was only addressing OP play #1. You are referring to play #2.

I guess I was, but I was also reading off the catcher at the batters legs to mean it went off his legs, and the title of the thing was batter kicks ball, so in the first sitch I thought it went off the batters legs, and in the second he kicked it with his heel as he was stepping back.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by DG

I guess I was, but I was also reading off the catcher at the batters legs to mean it went off his legs, and the title of the thing was batter kicks ball, so in the first sitch I thought it went off the batters legs, and in the second he kicked it with his heel as he was stepping back.

Yeah, I found the whole thing pretty confusing myself. I thought the same thing until I read it a few times.

[Ran.D]

If the catcher has a play on the runner at first, who should be stealing in this instance, and the batter kicks the ball (intentional or not), why would it not be interference/dead ball/batter out/runners return to last base occupied at the time of interference?

[mbyron]

I agree: if the batter kicks the ball intentionally, then he's out for interference.

But if the kick is unintentional, I'm not going to reward the defense for their error (the wild pitch or passed ball). Live ball, play on (unless, of course, the ball goes out of play on the accidental kick).

[Ran.D]

Intentional or not, if the batter kicks the ball he takes away the opportunity for the catcher to make a play. What if a batter unintentionally moves in front of the catcher on a throw.......what's the difference?

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by Ran.D

Intentional or not, if the batter kicks the ball he takes away the opportunity for the catcher to make a play. What if a batter unintentionally moves in front of the catcher on a throw.......what's the difference?

The difference is the defensive error which preceded your first question. The batter can't be expected to know where the ball is when it's rolling around behind him, but he can be expected to stay in the box so as not to interfere with the catcher throwing to a base.