Is it interference?

PeteBooth · #17 (**permalink**) Tue Feb 19, 2008, 09:34pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Richard_Siegel

Batter's Interference comes in two flavors.

In case #2, the batter must make an effort to get out of the way of any play the defense may attempt on a runner advancing to HP, if he has the OPPORTUNITY to do so. The batter always has the right to attempt to hit the ball. On a squeeze play, for instance, the runner might arrive at HP at the same moment the pitch has reached HP. The batter may stay there to offer at the pitch and he is not guilty of BI if his presence gets in the catcher's way and as long as the umpire judges that B4 had no opportunity to move away after the pitch arrived. However, after the pitch has gone by, or the pitch has been hit/bunted and put into play, the batter must make a good effort to vacate the area, or at least adjust his position to clear the plate area (even a little bit) or then it could be interference.

The situation in your post is case #1. Even if the catcher did not catch the pitch cleanly and he has to go chase the ball, if the batter steps out of the box, the batter has a duty to stay out of his way to let him throw to a base. If the batter remained in the batter's box and was hit by the throw it would be nothing. However, the batter chose to step out of the batter's box and was hit by the throw. For this reason this is interference and it need not be intentional.

Hi Richard

From the OP

Quote:

The pitch is a passed ball

The aforementioned is the KEY phrase in the OP

A batter after a pitch has gone passed F2 is treated as an "offensive teammate" and therefore, rule 6 OBR and rule 7 FED DO NOT APPLY.

OBR rules 7.09e and 7.11 apply ( Reference JR Section VI Interference by an Offensive Teammate) For FED rule 8-4-2g

Therefore, in the OP B1 (now considered an offensive teammate because the ball got passed F2) must do something Blatant in order to be called out.

Therefore, if you as the PU judged B1's action to be INTENTIONAL (Blatant in Nature) then you rule Interference. If not (which is the way I interpret the OP) then play on.

Pete Booth

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