INT on a foul ball

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

There seem to be a couple advocating protecting F3. I ask if you would have done so if the batter had run over F2 on this play. I also ask for some justification for protecting F3 given that the ball came within about an inch of actually being caught ... by F2.

The batted ball was more than halfway up the first base line. F2 is running to make what everyone should agree is a very difficult catch for F2 to make, and that's on a ball going away from him.

It doesn't matter that F2 came within an inch of catching the ball. That's not necessarily the criteria to decide who to protect. If R1 hadn't hindered F3, chances are pretty good that he not only would have been just as close to the ball as F2 ended up being, he would have had a much easier play.

And even if the batter had run over F2, that wouldn't have mattered if I had judged F3 was protected AND killed play the moment R1 hindered him.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

The batted ball was more than halfway up the first base line. F2 is running to make what everyone should agree is a very difficult catch for F2 to make, and that's on a ball going away from him.

It doesn't matter that F2 came within an inch of catching the ball. That's not necessarily the criteria to decide who to protect. If R1 hadn't hindered F3, chances are pretty good that he not only would have been just as close to the ball as F2 ended up being, he would have had a much easier play.

And even if the batter had run over F2, that wouldn't have mattered if I had judged F3 was protected AND killed play the moment R1 hindered him.

I should have been more specific... to those advocating F3 as the protected fielder here, had F3 not been bumped, would you have allowed BR to plow over F2 without a call?

[UmpTTS43]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

I should have been more specific... to those advocating F3 as the protected fielder here, had F3 not been bumped, would you have allowed BR to plow over F2 without a call?

This is how I would have ruled given the IFF situation and protecting F3. Let's throw the INT out the window for the sake of this arguement as to not muddy this sitch. OBS called on F2. Ball kept live until fair/foul status determined. If fair, batter out for IFF since the OBS had no bearing on the play. If foul, batter back up to bat, again since OBS had no bearing on the play and the type A OBS rule cannot be enforced on the BR when the ball is foul.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by UmpTTS43

This is how I would have ruled given the IFF situation and protecting F3. Let's throw the INT out the window for the sake of this arguement as to not muddy this sitch. OBS called on F2. Ball kept live until fair/foul status determined. If fair, batter out for IFF since the OBS had no bearing on the play. If foul, batter back up to bat, again since OBS had no bearing on the play and the type A OBS rule cannot be enforced on the BR when the ball is foul.

So how are you explaining the lack of protection of a fielder who in actuality missed making the catch by about 1 inch when the coach comes out?

(Incidentally and mildly related --- anyone notice that neither umpire called OBS on F1, who BR clearly had to slalom around during the somehow live foul ball?)

[UmpTTS43]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

So how are you explaining the lack of protection of a fielder who in actuality missed making the catch by about 1 inch when the coach comes out?

(Incidentally and mildly related --- anyone notice that neither umpire called OBS on F1, who BR clearly had to slalom around during the somehow live foul ball?)

By the fielder missing the catch, it actually makes my case for protecting another fielder easier. If F2 would have made the catch, it would have been a harder sell protecting another fielder when F2 completed the play. I have had to make a call such as this before. INT on a protected fielder where another fielder was close to making the catch. Umpire judgement. That's what we get paid for. We get paid to make the nonroutine calls.

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

I should have been more specific... to those advocating F3 as the protected fielder here, had F3 not been bumped, would you have allowed BR to plow over F2 without a call?

Well, if F3 had not been bumped, he would have very likely called off F2 to make the catch. If the BR had plowed over F2, the obstruction wouldn't have mattered because he would have been out on the caught fly ball.