Batter Interference

[Stair-Climber]

Even though I have seen this situation before, it is still a hard call to make. It is a HTBT, but I would like some feedback. 14 and under girls fast-pitch.

R1 on 2B and B2 is a right handed batter. F2 miss-handles the pitch, but stays in the immediate area of F2 and plate umpire. F2 is scrambling to find the ball and R1 is heading for 3B. B2 steps out of the batter's box and is looking down at 3B. F2 recovers the ball off to F2's left and near B2. When F2 gets the ball, B2 is standing still a foot or two out of batter's box and in between F2 and 3B. F2 grabs the ball, takes a step or two toward 3B, which puts her closer to B2, and attempts to throw the ball to 3B. On the throw, F2's hand hits B2 in the shoulder or back of head. This causes a bad throw by F2 and the ball goes way left of 3B and into foul territory in the outfield. R1 then comes home. My thoughts are: (a) B2 was stationary and not intentionally getting in F2's way of the throw. (b) B2 was not moving around haphazardly, which could have caused F2's throw to go bad. (c) B2 has to stand somewhere and it is not her fault that the ball ended up over close to where she was standing. (d) F2 has some responsibility to avoid the stationary batter and make a clean throw. In other words, I did not call interference and let the play stand. Please give me some of your thoughts.

Thanks.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by Stair-Climber
Even though I have seen this situation before, it is still a hard call to make. It is a HTBT, but I would like some feedback. 14 and under girls fast-pitch.

R1 on 2B and B2 is a right handed batter. F2 miss-handles the pitch, but stays in the immediate area of F2 and plate umpire. F2 is scrambling to find the ball and R1 is heading for 3B. B2 steps out of the batter's box and is looking down at 3B. F2 recovers the ball off to F2's left and near B2. When F2 gets the ball, B2 is standing still a foot or two out of batter's box and in between F2 and 3B. F2 grabs the ball, takes a step or two toward 3B, which puts her closer to B2, and attempts to throw the ball to 3B. On the throw, F2's hand hits B2 in the shoulder or back of head. This causes a bad throw by F2 and the ball goes way left of 3B and into foul territory in the outfield. R1 then comes home. My thoughts are: (a) B2 was stationary and not intentionally getting in F2's way of the throw. (b) B2 was not moving around haphazardly, which could have caused F2's throw to go bad. (c) B2 has to stand somewhere and it is not her fault that the ball ended up over close to where she was standing. (d) F2 has some responsibility to avoid the stationary batter and make a clean throw. In other words, I did not call interference and let the play stand. Please give me some of your thoughts.

Thanks.

Speaking ASA

B2 does have to stand somewhere, in the batter's box. If B2 leaves the batter's box and their presence affects F2's ability to make a play on another runner, B2 has interfered and should be ruled out and runner's returned. (7.6.P.1)

[AtlUmpSteve]

I agree with Mike completely. All your rationale would have been completely correct if the batter was standing in the batter's box; there, interference must be intentional. Once the batter left the box, the total onus and responsibility is on the batter to not interfere in any way.

Ruling: dead ball, batter B2 is out, runner R1 returns to 2B.

[NSABlue]

I agree with Steve and Mike. Once the batter has stepped out of the batters box, the interference does not have to be intentional. Batter is out, return runner to 2nd.

[Stair-Climber]

Thanks--looks like I missed that call. However, when you make that interfence call and call batter out and put R1 back on 2B, you are going to catch wholly you know what from the coach. At least with my no call on that play, no one complained. Anyway, how would you handle that situation if you (plate umpire) felt that there was no chance of F2 making the throw in time to 3B to get R1? Throw goes bad and R1 comes home. Would you call B2 out for interference and put R1 back on 3B instead of 2B?

Different situation: What about R1 on 3B and a passed ball to backstop? With R1 coming home, isn't B2 required to vacate the batter's box area in order to get out of way on the play at home plate?

I can think of a lot of different scenarios regarding the batter, the catcher, the base runner stealing and a passed ball or wild pitch. Shouldn't we look at each situation separately and rule according to what makes sense?

[Edited by Stair-Climber on Jul 29th, 2005 at 11:14 AM]

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally posted by Stair-Climber
Thanks--looks like I missed that call. However, when you make that interfence call and call batter out and put R1 back on 2B, you are going to catch wholly you know what from the coach. At least with my no call on that play, no one complained. Anyway, how would you handle that situation if you (plate umpire) felt that there was no chance of F2 making the throw in time to 3B to get R1? Throw goes bad and R1 comes home. Would you call B2 out for interference and put R1 back on 3B instead of 2B?

Different situation: What about R1 on 3B and a passed ball to backstop? With R1 coming home, isn't B2 required to vacate the batter's box area in order to get out of way on the play at home plate?

I can think of a lot of different scenarios regarding the batter, the catcher, the base runner stealing and a passed ball or wild pitch. Shouldn't we look at each situation separately and rule according to what makes sense?

Of course we can think of lots of scenarios; let's address yours.

First, the ball is dead at the time of interference; so, no matter that the runner might have likely reached 3B, the runner must return to the last base legally touched while the ball is live. The only time we would give the runner 3B is if the runner had already touched 3B before the throw was attempted (say, took too big a turn).

Your second play, a play at the plate, is a different rule completely, but a similar result. If a batter interferes with a play at the plate, either in or out of the box, and either intentionally or unintentionally, the batter is out and runner must return (ASA 7-6.P(3)). The batter must find a place to go which does not interfere.

Of course we review each play and rule with what makes sense. But, those rulings still must follow the written rules of the game. There are times I feel that someone is in a no-win situation, that they did everything they could, but still violated a rule. Our job is to enforce those rules, as written, and as interpreted by the ASA National Umpire Staff; even in those cases. We don't make the rules; we enforce them.

[orioles35]

The call needs to be correct, despite what the anticipated reaction might be from the dugout. Quite possibly, if you DON'T make that call you'll get an earful from the OTHER dugout. Don't let that affect your calls, coaches will seize upon this and attempt to intimdate you into looking the other way in situations such as these and giving them the call. Nothing a coach does or says should change your call on the field.