OBR Rule 7.09 (h)

[Carl Childress]

quote:

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Originally posted by PeteBooth:
This might be stupid but hey that's how I learn. Using OBR how do you judge "willfully and deliberately and obvious intent" on the part of the BR?

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Pete:

That is an excellent question, one that I'm afraid often gets over-looked by umpire trainers and clinicians. I've always taught that several factors lead an umpire to decide an action was "deliberate":

1. Obviously, any deviation by the runner from a straight path (his running spot to the next base) so he can contact the fielder must be intentional.

2. Any "extra" push after what appears to be accidental contact is deliberate intent to interfere.

3. If you judge the fielder had ample time to avoid crashing (not maliciously) into the fielder and he did not, clearly he intented to interfere.

4. Ron Luciano argued that the umpire should use what he knows about the player to help him decide. He once called this rarest of rare double plays (in the major leagues) when R1, R2 were advancing on a ground ball and R2 was hit by the ball. "Double play!" He then told R2 (whose name escapes me): "You too smart not to have done that deliberately."

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Papa C
Editor, eUmpire