Catcher Interference on aborted bunt attempt?

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

Mike,

Read it again. He specifically asked about a batter pulling his bat back from a bunt because he decided not to offer.

If he "showed bunt" and then went to cock his bat to offer with a swing, I would agree that was CI.

JM

Kind of curious how you're going to make this determination. If he hits the catcher on the way back, you're not going to see whether he was going to swing or not - he's already been disrupted.

(Granted, at the MLB or even NCAA level - the speeds are such that the difference is greater - pulling back doesn't give time to swing... but at HS or youth ball, the difference is going to be much harder to determine.)

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

As stated in post #5, he has CI or OBS, whatever you want to call it. The takeaway is part of the swing - the batter is being distracted from his opportunity to then take a full swing at the pitch. ....

Mike,

As Josh clearly stated in Post #4 - the post to which you were replying - the batter had abandoned his effort to hit the ball.

By your logic, you would award the batter in the video clip 1B. I don't believe that's a correct call.

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Kind of curious how you're going to make this determination. If he hits the catcher on the way back, you're not going to see whether he was going to swing or not - he's already been disrupted.

(Granted, at the MLB or even NCAA level - the speeds are such that the difference is greater - pulling back doesn't give time to swing... but at HS or youth ball, the difference is going to be much harder to determine.)

mbc,

It's pretty easy to determine in the video that the batter has no intention of offering at the pitch.

JM

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

Mike,

As Josh clearly stated in Post #4 - the post to which you were replying - the batter had abandoned his effort to hit the ball.

By your logic, you would award the batter in the video clip 1B. I don't believe that's a correct call.

John, he abandoned his effort to bunt. You and I have seen many players pull back a bunt show and then swing at the pitch. Yes, I would penalize the catcher for contacting the mitt in that instance. Yes, I have done it and NEVER had a coach make a peep.

In response to the video clip, we see a ball that is no longer in fair territory, it has passed the plate and is in the catcher's mitt when contact with the batt is made. The batter has lost his opportunity to swing at or bunt such pitch. Look at J/R and see how this is handled.

Now, look at 14-2 (5) in J/R on page 117. It is not catcher's interference if the batter has completely given up his opportunity to swing at a pitch. So, if he squares and then quickly pulls back but the catcher clips his bat on the takeaway, you have...yes, CI.

[UmpJM]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

... It is not catcher's interference if the batter has completely given up his opportunity to swing at a pitch. ...

Couldn't agree more. That's what I have been saying. What is it? "Weak interference"? Batter interference? Something else?

...So, if he squares and then quickly pulls back but the catcher clips his bat on the takeaway, you have...yes, CI.

Again, couldn't agree more, as I said in an earlier post (Post #17, 2nd sentence).

So, it would appear we are largely in "violent agreement". The only question is what you would rule in the first case - when the batter HAS completely given up his opportunity and the bat and mitt come into contact as the batter pulls his bat back - like in the video.

JM

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

The only question is what you would rule in the first case - when the batter HAS completely given up his opportunity and the bat and mitt come into contact as the batter pulls his bat back - like in the video.

JM

John,
A batter must intentionally contact a catcher or his equipment for it to be batter's interference while he is pulling the bat back J/R page 117 14-2-3

IT IS NOT A BACKSWING. J/R defines the backswing is the follow through motion on a swing that goes all the way around the batter's body until it is on the vicinity of the catcher. This does not happen as he is pulling the bat back from an aborted bunt attempt. Call the pitch. If you judge that he deliberately pulled his bat back in a way that impeded the catcher and caused disruption of the play on the runner, you have interference on the batter.

My son's game was played in the lovely drizzle today. It is really hard to wear a coach's hat some days. When is Summer going to be here? Uggghh.

[nopachunts]

Originally Posted by MikeStrybel

When is Summer going to be here? Uggghh.

It is, 100 today. Got a DH tomorrow.