Day 2...

RogersUmp · #1 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 09:56am

and if in the OP F5 had knocked it down, tried to pick it up, dropped it and then there was contact...still OBS because the initial attempt was over when he dropped the ball?

mbyron · #2 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 09:58am

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogersUmp

and if in the OP F5 had knocked it down, tried to pick it up, dropped it and then there was contact...still OBS because the initial attempt was over when he dropped the ball?

No, if the ball is within "a step and a reach," he's still in the act of fielding and still protected. Contact would then be interference.

The crucial difference is that in the OP the ball got past the fielder.

jdmara · #3 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 10:43am

Sounds great. Thanks for the clarifications. Just another reason to pick up a J/R

-Josh

Welpe · #4 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 12:41pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbyron

No, if the ball is within "a step and a reach," he's still in the act of fielding and still protected. Contact would then be interference.

The crucial difference is that in the OP the ball got past the fielder.

Can a fielder reacquire protection if he is in the act of fielding his own previously deflected ball? The play I'm thinking of is the NCAA play from last year where the pitcher deflected it off his foot, chased it and was in the act of fielding it when the BR ran into him near the first baseline.

From reading J/R and the MLBUM, my impression that in OBR at least, the answer is no. Once the fielder deflects the ball beyond a step and a reach, he cannot reacquire protection but another fielder can be protected. Am I correct in that understanding?

johnnyg08 · #5 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 12:54pm

The fielder already had one chance to field the ball and be protected. He booted the ball further than a step away, now he has to avoid the runner, batter/runner.

Welpe · #6 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 12:57pm

I think I agree as I found the following from J/R after a little more digging.

"A fielder cannot be privileged if he is chasing a batted ball that has been deflected or missed. If, however, he is trying to field a ball that has been deflected by another fielder, he can be privileged."

mbyron · #7 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 03:00pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welpe

I think I agree as I found the following from J/R after a little more digging.

"A fielder cannot be privileged if he is chasing a batted ball that has been deflected or missed. If, however, he is trying to field a ball that has been deflected by another fielder, he can be privileged."

Yep. That's it.

jdmara · #8 (**permalink**) Wed May 27, 2009, 04:20pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welpe

I think I agree as I found the following from J/R after a little more digging.

"A fielder cannot be privileged if he is chasing a batted ball that has been deflected or missed. If, however, he is trying to field a ball that has been deflected by another fielder, he can be privileged."

If it deflects off a base or rubber, the fielder is privileged as well?

-Josh

bob jenkins · #9 (**permalink**) Thu May 28, 2009, 06:59am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Welpe

Can a fielder reacquire protection if he is in the act of fielding his own previously deflected ball? The play I'm thinking of is the NCAA play from last year where the pitcher deflected it off his foot, chased it and was in the act of fielding it when the BR ran into him near the first baseline.

After much kerfluffle, the NCAA ruling is that if a *DIFFERENT* fielder is chasing after the ball and is in the act of fielding it, then that second fielder is protected. The first fielder cannot re-gain protection.

When Drake's board was active, many (most? all?) of the active MiLB umpires said that they would allow the original fielder to "regain" protection. I'm not sure I buy that.