Interference/Deflected off the pitcher

[BretMan]

Makes about as much "sense" as three outs per half inning (why not two...or four?), batters being allowed to advance to first after getting (an uncaught) strike three or the ball being 12 inches in circumference.

All are conventions that have been adopted or evolved over the long history of the game. On the surface, some just seem to make more "sense" than others.

Somewhere along the line, the powers-that-be have decided that the defense's right to make an unimpeded play on the batted ball is absolute. That's inline with all the other rules covering interference by a runner.

Likewise, they have choosen to absolve the runner of an interference call when unavoidably struck by a deflected batted ball. When the runner/ball contact is unintentional, and caused by the defense erring in the first place, why penailze the runner?

While both palys involve batted balls that are deflected, the similarity ends there. These are really two separate and distinct types of plays and two separate conventions have been adopted to handle them.