Batter picking up the ball

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE][QUOTE=bob jenkins;610964]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

Sorry, Pete, but 3.15 specifically does not apply to offensive team members participating in the game (meaning batters or runners).

Bob in a way it does

From the Comment section

PLAY: Batter hits ball to shortstop, who fields ball but throws wild past first baseman. The offensive coach at first base, to avoid being hit by the ball, falls to the ground and the first baseman on his way to retrieve the wild thrown ball, runs into the coach; the batter-runner finally ends up on third base. The question is asked whether the umpire should call interference on the part of the coach. This would be up to the judgment of the umpire and if the umpire felt that the coach did all he could to avoid interfering with the play, no interference need be called. If it appeared to the umpire that the coach was obviously just making it appear he was trying not to interfere, the umpire should rule interference.

IMO, a base coach is an offensive team member. If we put a "twist" on the aforementioned play and say F6 throws the ball wild to F3, the offensive coach picks up the wild throw then we would rule interference.

This OP sounds similar. We had F2 chasing after a loose ball and the on-deck batter (similar to a first base coach) picked up the ball. I think Papa C has a similar type case play in his BRD about the on deck batter except if I recall the on deck batter did not pick up a loose ball as in this OP but collided with F2 chasing after a loose ball. The call was interference.

The on deck batter is not supposed to pick up a live ball.

Pete Booth