I Missed This Question ....
 

I missed the following question on a test:

With a runner on third (R3) a batter hits a ball that drifts over foul territory. The third baseman is accidentally prevented by the runner R3 from catching the ball.



What's the call?

Answer was that the batter is out. I'm struggling to wrap my brain around that answer.

Does the "accidental" aspect play into the ruling at all?

Does fair/foul have an impact on who is out?

Tell me what questions I'm not asking myself.

What rules? Who prevented him?

Sorry. Fixed it. Runner on 3rd prevented F5 from catching the fly ball that was over foul territory.

Where was the out possible?

Are you reading the question (Fed Test) correctly? There are two different questions on the test, one right after the other with almost the exact same wording. One has the 3rd base coach "accidentally" interfering with a foul fly ball catch; the other has the runner at 3rd "accidentally" interfering with a foul fly catch. Both of them are "outs," though two different players are declared out.

Read Rule 7-4-1(f), then Casebook plays 7.4.1(H) and 8.4.2(B)

28) With a runner on third, the batter hits a high pop fly that drifts over foul territory. The third baseman is accidentally prevented from catching the ball by the runner at third base.
1. Foul ball. YOUR ANSWER
2. The runner at third is out.
3. The batter is out.
4. The coach is restricted to the bench and the coaching box must remain unoccupied.
Reference: 8-4-2g



I copied the question and the answer I got back. I see why my answer was wrong. I just can't figure out why the batter is out. You can't see it from what I copied but they have a mark next to both my answer and the correct answer. They have 3 as the correct answer.

The batter.

However, 8.4.2 Sit B in the current casebook has the exact same play and it has the runner on third being declared out.

This FED rule was changed a few years ago. It used to be that the batter was out. Now it's the runner who is out. Someone just forgto to change the answer key.

I think I have heard that this question has been acknowledged by FED (or some state(s) ) to be incorrect.

I don't remember, but does it matter how many outs are remaining?

I feel like I remember reading at some point that w/ two outs we get the batter, w/ < 2 out we get the runner.

Not on this play.

You're thinking of batters interference with a runner coming home.

Gotcha

R3 (the player who interfered) is out. Don't forget to add a strike to the count if there were less than 2 strikes already.

If the ball was fair, I think the batter would get 1st.

Correct, but it was a foul ball so it's irrelevant here.

OK, another related question. What if that runner bumps the 3rd baseman and then he catches the pop foul anyway? Only one out, or two?

JJ

The ball is dead on the INT.

Generally in baseball, when a batter hits a fly ball that's caught, it creates an out on the batter.

Not in this case.

Really? Before the INT, there was no out to be had on the batter if the ball had been caught? Why, praytell?

Rule 5-1-1e
Ball becomes dead immediately when there is interference by a runner, batter-runner, or a retired runner, the batter , or any person.

Rule 8-4-2g .....If , in the judgment of the umpire, the runner including the batter runner interferes in any way and prevents a double play anywhere, two shall be declared out...

To whom/what was this a response?

I was pointing out that in the scenario described in the OP, depending on if additional runners were on base and their actions, the umpire could conceivably award 2 outs on the play described.
For instance if a runner was on 1st and was running on the pitch. If the umpire feels he would have been a dead duck on the appeal play, based on Rule 8-4-2g he could call him out as well. All I am saying is that just because the ball is immediately dead and the runner is out, there are other things to consider on this play.

Gotcha. Thanks.

Be careful with this, in the instance of a potential infield fly, we have to determine if the ball if fair/foul on an infield fly hit down the line. OBR

In NCAA and MLB, if that interference is INTENTIONAL, both the runner AND the batter are declared out. Sort of what the FED rule says "if the interference prevents a double play"...but the majority of the time only the runner is out, and if it's a foul ball a strike is added to the count (if the batter has less than two strikes).

JJ