Infield fly situation

rbmartin · #1 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 10:27am

OBR rules. Bases loaded, no outs, right handed batter at plate.
Batter hits a high pop-up which could be caught by the pitcher "with ordinary effort". The umpire immediately declares "Infield Fly, Batters out if Fair!" The pitcher, upon hearing the umpire, allows the ball to fall to the ground in fair territory about half way between HP and 1B. No other fielders make an attempt on the ball. The runners, knowing this is potentially a live ball begin to advance to next base. Due to the spin on the ball, the ball abruptly skips sideways and is obviously headed to foul territory when it hits the Batter/runner in fair territory (out of the box and in route to 1B). Ball is inadvertently kicked into the dugout by the B/R (this action is in no way intentional).

How do you sort out this mess?

kylejt · #2 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 10:35am

Call the BR out for INT.

It would have been cooler if R3 booted it, then you could have had the IFF AND INT.

MikeStrybel · #3 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 10:41am

You stated that the ball was in fair territory when contacted, right? The umpire correctly announced the call, the batter is out if the ball is fair. By rule, it became fair when contacted by the BR. He was out the instant he touched it, either way. Because he interfered with the potential live ball, it is dead and the runners return to their bases. Smart pitcher. One of my 11U kids this year tried to glove a similar pop up. It hit the heel of his glove while fair and rolled into DBT. Ouch.

MD Longhorn · #4 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 12:28pm

Unless you have intent (and you state that you don't), I don't see any mess to clean up. Batter is out. Ball is dead. Runners back to their TOP bases. No mess at all.

mbyron · #5 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 12:49pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Unless you have intent (and you state that you don't), I don't see any mess to clean up. Batter is out. Ball is dead. Runners back to their TOP bases. No mess at all.

So you have a fair ball leaving the field? Isn't that a 2 base award?

MD Longhorn · #6 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 12:52pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbyron

So you have a fair ball leaving the field? Isn't that a 2 base award?

When did a live fair batted ball leave the field?

mbyron · #7 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 01:04pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

When did a live fair batted ball leave the field?

Ah, you're killing it when it's kicked? Based on....?

MD Longhorn · #8 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 01:16pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbyron

Ah, you're killing it when it's kicked? Based on....?

Let me ask you this... the status of the ball is nothing until it becomes something, yes? So despite the fact that we WILL have IFF if the ball stays fair, at the instant the ball hits the batter, we do not have IFF. Live batter hit by live ball in fair territory - what do YOU do?

kylejt · #9 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 01:55pm

You have but two choices: Call the BR out on the IFF, because the fair ball is dead once it touches him, OR call him out for INT. You can't get two outs on the same guy, so I'd go for the later.

It's that simple.

mbyron · #10 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 02:03pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Let me ask you this... the status of the ball is nothing until it becomes something, yes? So despite the fact that we WILL have IFF if the ball stays fair, at the instant the ball hits the batter, we do not have IFF. Live batter hit by live ball in fair territory - what do YOU do?

Relax, Mike, I'm just playing.

What's weird about the case is that the BR is not out until the ball is fair (IFF), but it's not fair until he's out (INT).

To put it otherwise: the ball touching him both makes it fair and makes him guilty of INT.

I like INT.

MD Longhorn · #11 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 02:18pm

This play could have been a lot more interesting, with, I suspect, people landing on both sides of the argument.

Say, for example, R2 was off on the pitch, and had actually crossed 3rd before the ball hit the ground - and was just short of home when the ball contacted BR. Now what do you do with the runners?

And if you've got that one straight, now have R1 similarly off base, when BR actually interferes INTENTIONALLY with F1 making the catch.

rbmartin · #12 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 03:23pm

Quote:

7.09 (f) It is interference by a batter or a runner when any batter or runner who has just been put out hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate; If the batter or a runner continues to advance after he has been put out, he shall not by that act alone be considered as confusing, hindering or impeding the fielders.

Could one argue that a runner should also be declared out as a result of this interference? I guess not since the ball would be immediately dead?

MD Longhorn · #13 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 03:32pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbmartin

Could one argue that a runner should also be declared out as a result of this interference? I guess not since the ball would be immediately dead?

Not really, because we have more obvious reasons to call this interference already. Barring intent, I cannot see getting a 2nd out here.

rbmartin · #14 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 08:08pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Barring intent, I cannot see getting a 2nd out here.

Does 7.09(f) require intent?

Larry1953 · #15 (**permalink**) Mon Sep 26, 2011, 08:15pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by rbmartin

Does 7.09(f) require intent?

It requires a play to be attempted on another runner. Just catching the IFF is not a play being made on another runner.

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