Help with an interference call.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by soundedlikeastrike

Couldn't agree more.

Rich, fly ball to F7, now "retired batter" or offensive teammate, trot's up the third base line and picks up his bat and get's hit in the coconut, change your mind?

No.

What's the ball doing up the line? Bad throw. Too bad for the defense.

[Simply The Best]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

No.

Sounds like a coaching point then.

What's the ball doing up the line? Bad throw. Too bad for the defense.

Yes, it is the defense's fault for having the offense INT. Got it.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by Simply The Best

Yes, it is the defense's fault for having the offense INT. Got it.

The throw was up the line. The runner interfered with what play? The interference with the throw was intentional?

[soundedlikeastrike]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

The throw was up the line. The runner interfered with what play? The interference with the throw was intentional?

A throw from F7 towards HP will always be "up the line" at least until it reaches HP.

The runner didn't do a thing, the retired "offensive teammate" did.

Grasp the difference between a runner and those others that might be on the field of play, realize they've different requirements and rights.

Pasted from OBR;

INTERFERENCE
(a) Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with,
obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.....

SLAS: OP, was the D attempting to make a play? Yes.
As an umpire never try and read the D's mind, simply react to what is occuring. For ex., the OP, no way to know;
1. is this just a poor decision to throw to HP (late, off line?)
or
2. was it a decoy in an attempt to sucker and retire another runner (BR attempting 2B)?
The cut off man knows there's no chance at the plate, yet let's it go to sucker BR to think he can attain 2B. Makes no difference to the Umpire, is the ball in play? Yes. Is there an opportunity to make a play? Yes.

OFFENSE is the team, or any player of the team, at bat.

SLAS; OP meets this requirement..

A RUNNER is an offensive player who is advancing toward, or touching, or
returning to any base.

SLAS; In the OP are we talking about a runner? NO.

7.08 Any runner is out when—
(b) He intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball;

SLAS: Ah there it is again, intentional. In the OP are we talking about a runner? NO. Skip this one.

7.09 It is interference by a batter or a runner when—
(d) Any member or members of the offensive team stand or gather around any base to which a runner is advancing, to confuse, hinder or add to the difficulty of the fielders. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate or teammates;

SLAS; OP are we talking about a play at HP? NO. Could we be? Sure, keep this in mind for similar situations where a just scored or on deck batter is near the plate and a runner is attempting to score. Ex. just scored runner and on deck batter high fiving near the plate as R2 is attemtping to score, if the throw is coming towards HP and if F2 has to even notice them, look for int.. "Hinder, confuse or add to the difficulty" are not very specific, as they shouldn't be, umpire judgement only here. They really should be clearing out. We'll get to that in a minute..

(e) Any batter or runner who has just been put out, or any runner who has just scored, hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate;

SLAS: OP, are we talking about this guy? Yes.
Are we talking about a following play on "a runner"? Yes.
Is that BR now digging for 2nd a runner? Sure is.
Any reason to think, the D has no chance at retiring another runner? Nope. And we won't find out, because why?
TIME, that's Int. at the moment of contact.
Any mention of intentional? No.
Any mention of a play at "that base"? NO.
IMHO, Rule with an unyielding, unmerciful iron fist.

7.11 The players, coaches or any member of an offensive team shall vacate any space (including both dugouts) needed by a fielder who is attempting to field a batted or thrown ball.

SLAS: Any remaining doubts from above? Use this one.
Is this a thrown ball? Yes.
Is the just scored runner a member of the offensive team? Yes.
Ya think, F2 or a backing up the plate F1 are trying to field it? Yes.
Any mention of intentional? No.

PENALTY: Interference shall be called and the batter or runner on whom the play is being made shall be declared out.

Any specific mention of who that might be? Nope.
Pick one, preferably the one that hurts, er, ah, I mean, "teaches" the most.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by soundedlikeastrike

A throw from F7 towards HP will always be "up the line" at least until it reaches HP.

.

Only if the fielder is near/at the line when he throws it. Usually NOT the case.

Can you really not track where the ball is going? Most players can. That's how they get to catch/glove/retrieve it in the first place.

[soundedlikeastrike]

I realize the writtenword is sometimes "not read as" what was intended, nature of the written word I guess.

But, I gotta ask, WT-?

[Simply The Best]

Originally Posted by soundedlikeastrike

I realize the writtenword is sometimes "not read as" what was intended, nature of the written word I guess.

But, I gotta ask, WT-?

Rich is confused.

[Dave Reed]

SLAS,

Do you have J/R? See See Ch 13, Section 6, Interference by an Offensive Teammate. The term offensive teammate includes retired runners. They say it is interference if the offensive teammate "blatantly and avoidably hinders a fielder's try to field a fair or catchable batted ball or thrown ball."

Rule 7.11 doesn't require a retired runner to instantly disapppear from live ball territory. A retired runner who is struck by an errant throw may have interfered, or not. It depends on the situation and the actions of the retired runner. A retired runner who is retrieving a bat may simply be acting as he should. If so, it ain't interference.