What a mess!

[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by Bfair

Pete, you are in left field once again..............

First off, the immediate decision to protect BR to 3B in this play is a poor decision that can be later altered. You need not determine your final protection at the moment of the obstruction.

First, please stick to the facts of the thread AS PRESENTED. Whether or not you think the decision was poor is irrelevant. The umpire can award more than one base if that's HIS / HER judgement. Even though it might be a poor decision, the fact is according to the rules, an umpire can protect where he /she judges, so in responding let's stick to what happened.


Merely continuing to run is not an infraction under Fed rule (there is caseplay to support that). In this case, you tell the coach that the defense as well as the runner should have realized that the BR was declared out, and therefore, the run of R2 scores. BR's mere attempt at return to 2B after being declared out is not interference (as Pete indicated that is could be).


You would be correct if the runner does what he /she is supposed to like returning to the dugout when the umpire declares him /her out. Again PLEASE read the thread. The runner was declared OUT, yet went back towards second base where the defense subsequently played on him.

I didn't say based on the information in the THREAD that I would call interference but I did infer that it could be called depending upon umpire judgement. Would I call interference on this play - NO but if an umpire did I do not think that the decision would be a protestable one.

Pete Booth