MLB rule on fan contact with a batted ball
 

Twins @ Tigers

Must C | Must C Curious: Fan appears to touch Avila's double - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

MLB.com Gameday | tigers.com: Gameday

Was the call correct?

Twins manager Ron Gardenhire didn't agree.

"I don't care who it hit -- when it hits a fan in the stands, it's a ground-rule double and you don't score," Gardenhire said. "However you want to call it, that guy doesn't score. So it doesn't make sense to me and what they told me didn't make any sense, either."

What a surprise, I am shocked!

It wouldn't make sense to Gardenshire if they told him in the middle of the field, at 3pm that it was the afternoon.

Yes, the call was correct.

Yes, the call was correct. In MLB, fan interference equates to elevating the umpires to gods - whatever they want is what will result. :D

I wonder if Gardenhire thought that it wasn't touched by the spectator over the railing but just by the kid while in the stands. Either way, it was the correct call

-Josh

If it only hit the kid in the stands behind the railing, it's a 2 base award from the time of the pitch and R1 would only be awarded third. It's not spectator interference if if goes in the stands and hits a spectator.

If it hit that guy who reached down over the fence, it was the correct award. If it only hit the guy in the orange shirt in the stands, it was not the correct award. From the replay we know what Gardy thought, and from Darling's reaction we know what HE thought.

JJ

Was this a minor league game? Took me 3 viewings to figure out just what was "off" about this clip.

You're saying that the first would be fan interference (dead ball, award bases as appropriate), whereas the second would simply be a fair batted ball leaving the playing field after touching the ground (dead ball, all runners 2 bases).

Good point, and you're right, their ruling tells us what the call was. :)

I do realize that. I didn't word my response as well as I probably should have.

-Josh

The fan interference call was correct. Awarding the runner home was not, in my opinion.

Why not?

Judging by where the runner was on the basepaths, I think it was a large assumption to assume he would have scored on that ball. I'll admit that Young should have continued to hustle on the ball instead of giving up on it, but I don't believe the home team should benefit by an interference by one of their fans on a borderline play.

I don't think the team affiliation should have any bearing on the awards.

Who's to say it was a home team fan? Visitor's fans attend games as well.

home team's responsible for the conduct of fans in their ballpark (unless we're in the odd situation where the host team are designated visitors for that particular game).