Runner's Intereference/Obstruction

[wenriquez]

A Little help with this scenario that happened yesterday:

Man on 1st and 2nd, the 1Bman is playing in front of the bag with no outs.
The runner on 1B takes a lead as the pitch is being delivered, the batter hits a popup 5 to 10 feet behind 1B, near the foul line.

As the fielder (1B) turns to catch the popup, the runner runs into him and keeps him from getting to the ball. The 2Bman makes the catch while sliding, the runner on 2nd tags up and takes off for third uncontested.

I argue runner's interference. The first answer was he never took a lead. My response was if you miss the call I have no problem with that, however, I am looking right at it and the runner did prevent the 1Bman from getting to the ball.

The 2nd excuse came during a rain delay, and this one I wasn't 100% sure of but think it is wrong. Because it was a popup the runner is entitled to the bag and can run into the fielder.
What is the call in your opinion.

[SRW]

Originally Posted by wenriquez

Man on 1st and 2nd...

That's quite the stretch and splits to have one man on 1st and 2nd.

[NCASAUmp]

Speaking ASA, there are a number of things wrong with these arguments...

First off, it sounds like you had an infield fly situation, and the IFF should have been called. That being said, the defense no longer had a play on the batter-runner. Furthermore, it didn't sound like the defense had a play on any runner except MAYBE for R2 (the runner on 1B). However, it sounds like that play would've been extremely unlikely.

Now, F4 (the second baseman) made the catch while sliding, and that MAY have affected his ability to make the play on R1 (the runner on 2B). Maybe, maybe not. The ball would have been caught where F4 was standing anyway, so I don't think it helped/hurt his chances much.

As for "the runner can run into a fielder on a pop fly," well, that sounds a bit fishy to me, and I'm not so sure that's how it was stated. It makes it sound like there's a free-for-all.

I don't think I'd have anything on this play. BR should have been out as a result of the IFF, and runners were too close to their bases for the defense to have an opportunity to make an out.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by SRW

That's quite the stretch and splits to have one man on 1st and 2nd.

That's why we're umpires, and they're still playing.

[wenriquez]

The 1Bman was prevented from making the play and no fielder was camped under the popup preventing the Infield Fly Rule from being called. The 2Bman slid to catch the ball towards the 1B foul line and then get up throw across his body toward 3B, by the time he got up and positioned himself he opted to hold on. Thanks for the response, I wasn't too clear on the popup being a difficult enough play for the 2Bman.

First off, it sounds like you had an infield fly situation, and the IFF should have been called. That being said, the defense no longer had a play on the batter-runner. Furthermore, it didn't sound like the defense had a play on any runner except MAYBE for R2 (the runner on 1B). However, it sounds like that play would've been extremely unlikely.

Now, F4 (the second baseman) made the catch while sliding, and that MAY have affected his ability to make the play on R1 (the runner on 2B). Maybe, maybe not. The ball would have been caught where F4 was standing anyway, so I don't think it helped/hurt his chances much.

As for "the runner can run into a fielder on a pop fly," well, that sounds a bit fishy to me, and I'm not so sure that's how it was stated. It makes it sound like there's a free-for-all.

I don't think I'd have anything on this play. BR should have been out as a result of the IFF, and runners were too close to their bases for the defense to have an opportunity to make an out.[/QUOTE]

[greymule]

You didn't say what code you were playing under. By man, did you mean "male runners" or just "runners"? "Runner takes the lead as the pitch is being delivered" means this is men's fast pitch? But if it was either FP or SP, in ASA:

If you felt that F3 was the fielder most likely to have a play on the ball, you call INT as soon as the runner contacts F3. In ASA, INT by a runner on a routine fly ball is also an out on the batter.

I must say that your post is difficult to understand ("the 2nd excuse came during a rain delay"). However, in no case can a runner run into a fielder who is fielding a batted ball, regardless of what anyone thinks the runner is "entitled to."

Further, a fielder does not have to be "camped under" a fly ball in order for the IFF to apply. And even if you called IFF, the runner would also be out for contacting F3, unless you felt that F4 was more likely than F3 to be fielding the ball.

[NM FP Ump]

You had the IFF rule in effect, but is it applied here? I don't think I would have called the infield Fly. Since F3 was playing in front of 1st, and the ball was hit 5-10 feet behind 1st base, near the foul line, we have to judge if she could have made a catch with ordinary effort. Obviously, F4's effort to record an out on the pop-up does not qualify as "ordinary effort", "… The 2Bman makes the catch while sliding", so I don't think the IFF can be called.

The offense has to give the defense a chance to field the ball, and R2 (runner on 1st) interfered with F3's attempt to field the ball, so I would call Dead Ball, Interference, R2 is out, R1 returns to 2nd and B/R is awarded 1st.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by NM FP Ump

You had the IFF rule in effect, but is it applied here? I don't think I would have called the infield Fly. Since F3 was playing in front of 1st, and the ball was hit 5-10 feet behind 1st base, near the foul line, we have to judge if she could have made a catch with ordinary effort. Obviously, F4's effort to record an out on the pop-up does not qualify as "ordinary effort", "… The 2Bman makes the catch while sliding", so I don't think the IFF can be called.

The offense has to give the defense a chance to field the ball, and R2 (runner on 1st) interfered with F3's attempt to field the ball, so I would call Dead Ball, Interference, R2 is out, R1 returns to 2nd and B/R is awarded 1st.

Well, here's where a difference in judgment will get us two different answers. If you call the IFF, then I say you've got nothing. If you don't call the IFF, you've got INT on R2, R1 goes back to second, and the BR is also out like greymule says (in ASA).

The Infield Fly Rule does NOT require the defensive player to be camped out under the ball. I have no idea where you heard that, but it's dead wrong. It has to be a fair fly ball that can be caught by any infielder with reasonable effort when there are runners on 1B and 2B, or 1B 2B and 3B with less than 2 outs. "Reasonable effort" does not mean "if hit within arm's reach." "Reasonable effort" is also left completely to the umpire's judgment.

[greymule]

If you call the IFF, then I say you've got nothing.

Even if you called the IFF, if you judged F3 to be the primary fielder on that fly ball, you still have INT on the runner, and a second out.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

...It has to be a fair fly ball that can be caught by any infielder with reasonable ordinary effort when there are runners on 1B and 2B, or 1B 2B and 3B with less than 2 outs. "Reasonable Ordinary effort" does not mean "if hit within arm's reach." "Reasonable Ordinary effort" is also left completely to the umpire's judgment.

Small correction... (point is the same)...