BI/Steal

[zm1283]

Originally Posted by mbyron

Same rule for FED and OBR. Delayed dead ball; if the first throw retires a runner, that out stands and the batter resumes his at bat; otherwise, the batter is out and the runner returns.

If the batter has stepped across the plate and the F2 comes up to throw, I've got BI. The batter has no right to step out of the box, so it doesn't matter what else happens. (Some will get into the finer points of whether the batter prevented a throw, but I give the benefit of doubt to the defense here.)

You don't have to wait to judge if there was actual hindrance to the play: the rule has that built in. Call it immediately when you see it.

Neither contact nor intent is required for you to rule BI correctly.

Stepping across the plate by itself is not automatically INT. The batter has to alter the catcher's throw. I have seen plays where the pitch is so far outside in the other batter's box and the catcher has to go so far, that the batter doesn't even come close to interfering.

With that said, 99.9 percent of the time, the batter alters the play in some fashion if the pitch is decent. Give the benefit of the doubt to the catcher when this play happens.