Runner hit by deflected batted ball

[BriefcaseJohnny]

Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere, but I couldn't find it.

Situation: two out, runner on first.

The batter hits a sharp grounder up the middle that deflects off the pitcher's glove, then clearly nicks the heel of the runner advancing from first to second, then is fielded by the second baseman, who throws the batter out at first.

What is the correct ruling on this play?

(In the instance I witnessed, the umpire initially ruled the runner advancing to second out for being hit by a batted ball, then on appeal by the batting team reversed himself and ruled a dead ball and had the batter resume his at bat. The team in the field argued that the initial call was correct because the runner had been hit by a ball not touched by an infielder *other than the pitcher*.)

Thanks in advance for any light you can shed on this.

[bob jenkins]

Play on (assuming the contact was not intentional).

7.08(f) A runner is out when ... He is touched by a fair ball in fair territory before the ball has touched or passed an
infielder

(emphasis added)

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by BriefcaseJohnny

(In the instance I witnessed, the umpire initially ruled the runner advancing to second out for being hit by a batted ball, then on appeal by the batting team reversed himself and ruled a dead ball and had the batter resume his at bat.

OMG, the dreaded "do-over"! Say it isn't so!

Originally Posted by BriefcaseJohnny

The team in the field argued that the initial call was correct because the runner had been hit by a ball not touched by an infielder *other than the pitcher*.)

The "other than the pitcher" clause deals with a batted ball that passes a fielder and then hits the base umpire. If it passes the pitcher and then hits the umpire before it passes an infielder, it's umpire interference. "Other than the pitcher" has nothing to do with a ball hitting a base runner, and it definitely doesn't apply to deflected balls, even if it hits the umpire.

Now, there are some organizations (not sure if there are any in baseball, but softball comes to mind) that will rule interference on the runner when that runner hinders a fielder fielding a ball deflected off the pitcher. But that's not what happened here.

[BriefcaseJohnny]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Play on (assuming the contact was not intentional).

7.08(f) A runner is out when ... He is touched by a fair ball in fair territory before the ball has touched or passed an
infielder

(emphasis added)

I take it, then, the pitcher counts as an infielder, in which case the batter, thrown out at first, should have been the third out of the inning, correct?

[BriefcaseJohnny]

Originally Posted by Manny A

OMG, the dreaded "do-over"! Say it isn't so!



The "other than the pitcher" clause deals with a batted ball that passes a fielder and then hits the base umpire. If it passes the pitcher and then hits the umpire before it passes an infielder, it's umpire interference. "Other than the pitcher" has nothing to do with a ball hitting a base runner, and it definitely doesn't apply to deflected balls, even if it hits the umpire.

Now, there are some organizations (not sure if there are any in baseball, but softball comes to mind) that will rule interference on the runner when that runner hinders a fielder fielding a ball deflected off the pitcher. But that's not what happened here.

So the initial call of the batter out at first should have stood?

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by BriefcaseJohnny

So the initial call of the batter out at first should have stood?

Yes. There was no interference by the runner going to second when the ball hit off his heel, so the ball stays live and in play. So the subsequent throw-out of the batter-runner at first stands.