What's the Call?

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by youngump

Is it relevant whether the ball hit bat or bat hit ball?

Yes. If the catcher fails to catch the third strike, and the ball moves forward into the BR or her bat, then the BR would not be guilty of interference.

But the way I read the OP, specifically the part where it says the bat "sends the ball down the first base line in foul territory", I'm envisioning a "bat hit ball" situation, and not the other way around.

It's really a HTBT to judge. Seems to me if the umpires got together, referred to the rule book, and still called the BR out, they must have felt that the bat contacted the ball.