LLWS - Washington / Connecticut

RPatrino

I have a train wreck, I don't see the fielder getting protection while running around the infield with a ball.

rbmartin

2.00—Definitions of Terms.

OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball and not in the act of fielding the ball, impedes the progress of any runner.

INTERFERENCE (a) Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.

Obstruction? NO (you cannot obstruct if you possess the ball).
Interference? Maybe technically because it states "A PLAY" not just "A THROW" (you could be attempting to make a play while running around with the ball). I would not have called it here. I think "Train Wreck...play on" is the proper ruling here.

RPatrino

That is the key to this judgement call. If you judge the fielder was making a play when he was hit by R2, then you have interference. I couldn't tell from the video clip where the fielder was thinking about making a play.

rbmartin

RPatrino wrote
I couldn't tell from the video clip where the fielder was thinking about making a play.

Good point. I would say he was running with the ball thinking about making a play, not actually making one.

jwwashburn

If the SS would have tagged the runner instead of running into him that might have been a good idea:-)

Steven Tyler

aceholleran wrote
I am leaning toward an out here. F6 was trying to show the ball. R1 did not kick it out or anything of the sort.

Ace

It looked to me the ball might have very well been kicked out judging from the F6's reaction.

Steven Tyler

RPatrino wrote
Guys on another board are of the opinion that F6 is afforded some protection on an already fielded ball, and I have not heard what protection they feel he should be given. He has possession of the ball, the runner has the lane, and a fielder with a ball coming at him would cause the runner to stop or try to go around, but he is not obligated to do either by rule. Was F6 trying to throw the ball home when R2 hit him?

What other board? Evans' board has turned into Smittyville. Haven't looked over there in a long time.

robbie

Dead ball. Interference. And I dont even see a coach coming to question / complain. No brainer.

RPatrino

Steven Tyler wrote
What other board? Evans' board has turned into Smittyville. Haven't looked over there in a long time.

Umpire Empire

Rich Ives

robbie wrote
Dead ball. Interference. And I dont even see a coach coming to question / complain. No brainer.

You didn't see the huddles with the umpires and both coaches? There were animated conversations. Must have been about where to go for dinner I guess. 😀

DG

Looks like SS was running at a runner trapped between 3rd and home. He was making a play on the runner it appears. He was not randomly running around the infield with no idea what he was going to do.

Rich Ives

DG wrote
Looks like SS was running at a runner trapped between 3rd and home. He was making a play on the runner it appears. He was not randomly running around the infield with no idea what he was going to do.

He had three ideas - throw home, throw to 3B, or run at R3. He missed option 4 - tag R2. While he was still pondering his options he collided with R2. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 🙂

Chris_Hickman

Haven't posted here in a long time. Even though the fielder had no intention of tagging R2, he did run into him. One could argue that a play is being made on R2. U3 should have signaled no tag. He was surprised. Probably never seen a play like this before. There is no OBS or INT in this play. Just some bad baseball...
Sometime players put us in bad positions where we need to step up and make a call. U3 did not........

ozzy6900

From what I can see in the video, R2 had no chance to change his direction as F6 ran right into R2's path. The question is, do you say that F6 was actually making a play or simply running to a different location.

I have F6 running to a different location and not actually making a play.

Train Wreck, play on!

Paul L

I see contact, but not interference. The contact did not alter the fielder's play. Play on.

UMP45

Paul L wrote
I see contact, but not interference. The contact did not alter the fielder's play. Play on.

Contact doesn't matter.

Manny A

From the MLBUM: "If, after a player has fielded a batted ball but before he is able to throw the ball, a runner hinders or impedes such fielder, the runner shall be called out for interference."

Seems to me that's what happened here. F6 fielded the ball, but before he was able to throw it (which he undoubtedly would), R2 ran into him. If R2 had knocked F6 to the ground, allowing R3 to easily score, how would you not consider that as interference?

Train wrecks happen when a thrown ball causes a fielder to get into the runner's path, and the fielder, runner, and ball all arrive at the same place simultaneously. They also happen when the catcher and batter-runner make contact on a ball in front of the plate. They do NOT happen when a fielder has long had possession of the ball and he's running to make a play. The fielder is under no obligation to tag a runner approaching him, so just because that didn't happen doesn't excuse R2 for running into him.

DG

Rich Ives wrote
He had three ideas - throw home, throw to 3B, or run at R3. He missed option 4 - tag R2. While he was still pondering his options he collided with R2. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 🙂

He certainly missed an opportunity to tag the runner who ran into him, but he appeard to be focused on the runner, running at him to make a play on him, either tag him, or more likely make him commit to home and throw there. He never looked at 3b.

TTUmp

Runner is out due to interference and if the coach wants to whine, then he's out for failure to slide or avoid tag. 😀

aceholleran

TTUmp wrote
Runner is out due to interference and if the coach wants to whine, then he's out for failure to slide or avoid tag. 😃

Please reread the rule: runner must slide or avoid a fielder who has the rock and waiting to make a play. I still have a train wreck here.

Ace