ASA Question #39

[greymule]

I knew the answer to Question #39, but I don't like it. The offense can actually benefit by deliberately committing interference to prevent a double play:

No outs, R1 on 3B, R2 on 2B, R3 on 1B, B4 pops up near the 1B line and runs into F3, knocking the ball loose to prevent a double play. R1 has touched home plate before the collision.

a. Dead ball, B4 is out, R1, R2 and R3 must return to the base they had at the time of the pitch.
b. Dead ball, B4 is out, R2 is out, R3 is returned to 1B, R1 scores.
c. Dead ball, B4 is out, R1 is out, R2 is returned to 2B and R3 is returned to 1B.
d. Dead ball, B4 is out, R1 scores; R2 and R3 advance at their own risk.

The answer is "b." Because R1 scored before the interference, the runner closest to home becomes R2. So the inning is over but the run scores, and apparently the defense has no recourse to appeal R1 leaving before the "catch," since there was no catch.

I have been considering variations of this play:

A. If the play had started with 1 out, would R1's run still count? The BR would be out #2 on the collision, all force plays would be off, and out #3 (R2) would therefore be a time play.

B. What if F3, knocked to the ground, caught the ball anyway and quickly threw to F5 on the appeal of R1 leaving too soon?

C. What if the pop had been halfway between the 1B line and the mound and B4 ran 10 feet out of the baseline to crash F3? Imagine the scored tied in the bottom of the 7th.

D. What if B4 brushed F3 on the way by, enough for you to call interference but not enough to prevent the catch and subsequent appeal at 3B?

Or am I missing some avenue the defense has to have the run nullified?

Also:

E. Would anything change if the play had unfolded in exactly the same way, but after IFR had been called?

F. What if R1, after touching home plate, had begun to retreat to 3B at the time of the interference?

Remember that in all these plays the runner from 3B has crossed the plate before the interference.

I went back to my OBR references to reassure myself that the run cannot score in baseball. If the BR has not reached 1B at the time of the interference, runners return TOP. For willful and deliberate interference, they would also call somebody else out, I guess the runner on 3B TOP, where the logical play would have been.