runner interference

[Dakota]

Originally posted by rwest
... with the fielder TAKING the throw at first base...

Originally posted by rwest
... with the 1st baseman's receiving the ball?

Hmmm... "fielder" - "1st baseman" ... "taking" - "receiving" ... a difference without a distinction? I must be missing your point with this.

Originally posted by rwest
even if the batter-runner was just a few feet from home plate.

The running lane does not begin a "few feet" from home, unless you consider 30 to be "few."

You are right, it is a judgment, but you cannot assume a perfect catcher had that darn runner only stayed in the lane. You have to call the play as actually played by the players. Sometimes a bad throw is just a bad throw.

The notion of a "quality throw" is merely one way of saying there must be a play before there can be interference. And that is clearly in the rule book. Check the definitions. If the fielder has no shot at making the play anyway, in or out of the running lane makes no difference.

Remember, a batter-runner has committed no violation merely by being out of the running lane. The violation comes when she interferes with the fielder at 1st taking the throw by being out of the running lane.

Riddle me this: where in the rule book does it say the batter-runner may not interfere with the fielder MAKING the throw by being out of the running lane?