Runner on first with one out. Popup to the first baseman. First baseman is standing between the runner and the base waiting for the ball. It is impossible for the runner to get to the base without contact and he doesn't have time to get around the fielder. What should I tell the runner to do?

Pick up his glove and go play defense. ;)

Serious answer -- do his best to get to the base without interfering with F3. Sometimes the ball is hit in the "wrong" place and a DP results. That's baseball.

F3 has the right to field a batted ball regardless of where the runner is. The runner must avoid contact with F3, or the batter-runner may be called out for offensive interference. The act does not have to be intentional, but if it is, both are called out. (7.08b, read footnote). If the runner has contact with a base it DOES have to be intentional. Rule of thumb for runners: don't touch fielders playing on batted of thrown balls.

". It is impossible for the runner to get to the base without contact and he doesn't have time to get around the fielder. What should I tell the runner to do?"

Just out of curiosity, if the runner doesn't have time to get around the fielder, where are you getting enough time to give him/her instructions?

Bob

Quoting Evans from 7.09(a):
<ul><B>A batter has an inherent obligation to avoid the catcher fielding the ball just as a runner must avoid an infielder in the act of fielding</b> [a batted ball].</ul>
I like the phrase "inherent obligation" and feel it can apply to several basics of baseball. I also feels it applies to a fielder's need to avoid a runner unless the fielder is in possession of the ball or is required to enter the runner's path to glove the ball. Too many have come to excuse "blocking" a base merely because a fielder can reach away to touch a ball when, in fact, there is no need for him to "block" the runner's path before receiving the throw.

Both OBR and J/R in their discussions of being in "the act of fielding" add further detail to support the concept that it is the "inherent obligation" of a fielder to avoid a runner excepting the need to tag or field the ball. NCAA with their recent rule change showed they had to eliminate the words "act of fielding" from their definition of obstruction so as to impress this fact upon umpires.


Just my opinion,

Freix

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Bluzebra,

When I said "What should I tell the runner to do?" I meant for future purposes. Thanks for your help.

Would this not be an infield fly..... if so R1 can just stay put....

cmckenna: No - an infield fly requires runners on first AND second, or bases loaded, with less than two out for it to be in effect. Also, on an infield fly the ball is still live so a runner off base is still in jeopardy.

This play only had a runner on first so no IF.

Even if it were an infield fly, the runner would probably still be where he was, and he must still get back to the base.

I can't remember every rule and every situation verbatum from a book just because it is a rule. I must try to understand the "why" of a rule. When a ball leaves a bat and starts its journey, the defense has virtually no control over where that ball will travel. Therefore, the priviledges and rights of way belong to the defense. The offense must give 100% right of way to the defense.

Once the defence has posession of the ball and makes a throw, the ball starts a new journey. At this moment in time the defence is supposed to have control of the flight of the ball and nearly all privilidges shift to the offense. Therefore, the defense must yield right of way to the offence; ie defensive players without the ball can not impede or hinder the runner in any.

When these two principles overlap, or butt heads (and they seldom do), we say "that's baseball."

I try real hard, in that 1 to 3 second time frame before I open my mouth, to ask myself, "Who has the right of way? why (what rule)? and did everybody concerned do the right thing?" If they did, and I actually waited the 1 to 3 seconds before I open my mouth, the call is usually clear and easy. Just like pornography, I usually know it when I see it.

I enjoy this hair-splitting threads like this because it makes all of us think.