Batter interference, malicious contact or both?

[PeteBooth]

Why would you eject the batter, absent malicious contact? Haven't you already penalized the interference with the out on R3?

Thanks.

Bob James

From the OP

Batter looks over his left shoulder then finally steps out of the box into the catchers path and lowers a shoulder

IMO, this is not a SAFETY move on the part of B1 to protect himself. He LOWERED his shoulder to "take out" F2 so his teammate could score. That's how I interpret the play.

The question is whether to call MC declare the batter out and return R3 to third base OR call Interference, R3 is out (because there were less then 2 outs) and EJ the batter for "lowering his shoulder and taking out F2)

I do not understand your question

Why would you eject the batter, absent malicious contact?

Because I wouldn't nor would most umpires. If there was no malcious act on the part of B1 then there is NO reason to Eject, however, IMO you cannot let the MC go unpunished.

This type of scenario is NOT specifically covered in FED. There are "implications" as to what to do but NOTHING concrete but the point is if "someone" committed a malcious act you cannot leave that same person in the game.

Pete Booth

[rookieblue]

Mr. Booth,

You actually did answer the question. I was laboring under the presumption that if you decided it was not MC by the batter, you would not have grounds for ejection.

But here,

This type of scenario is NOT specifically covered in FED. There are "implications" as to what to do but NOTHING concrete but the point is if "someone" committed a malcious act you cannot leave that same person in the game.

you cleared up my misunderstanding, and I agree completely. There are certainly actions that demand a forceful and immediate response (that is, ejecting the bad actor). I just misunderstood the two options you presented in your first post.

Thanks for your reply.

Bob James