Ball Hits the ondeck batter, Read on!!

[dash_riprock]

I have INT on this play for one reason - the ODH was in front of the plate when he was hit by the ball - right where you would expect a true throw from F3. There is no reason for him to be in fair territory. In fact, I think the chest bumping was just a decoy in an attempt to conceal his true motive - to intentionally interfere with a live thrown ball.

3-2-3 protects a base coach from INT if a thrown ball unintentionally contacts him (thanks FED, for requiring me to determine the intent of a baseball) in foul territory. Therefore, such immunity to INT is lost if the contact is intentional or occurs over fair ground. I think the same standard should apply to the ODH (as does the rest of 3-2-3).

An interesting side note: 3-2-3 begins: "No offensive team personnel, other than the base coach..."

Webster defines "offensive" as, among other things, unpleasant; disgusting; insulting.

Therefore, by FED rule, base coaches are unpleasant, disgusting and insulting.