| rwest |
Tue Mar 06, 2012 10:11am |
Or
Quote:
Originally Posted by mbcrowder
(Post 830185)
Sorry - misunderstood your sitch - you had a runner on third so I assume the play was at home. On a throw to third, MOST of the time the throw is going to be almost immediately after the pitch, still within the timeframe where the batter is not yet negligent for not knowing she has to move.
But I can envision an extremely delayed steal, (perhaps an inattentive runner that doesn't immediately hear her coach) or potentially even a wild pitch with a runner on first trying to make third base, where the brushed back batter has had time to get her wits about her, see there might be a play, and just standing there in the way being construed as willful negligence, and thus intent.
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Or as in my situation, runner at 2nd and 3rd. Inside pitch the batter bails, the ball gets by the catcher, the runner from 3rd advances home and the runner at 2nd advances to third on the wild pitch/pass ball. F2 throws down to third. Now, the time could be long enough for the batter to realize and move, which could be interference if she doesn't. It's a judgment call. The other thing to consider is that there is no such thing as a throwing lane at third. Or at least there is no rule requiring a throwing lane. We only have a throwing lane issue on first base. That's why we have the running lane. It gives the catcher a lane to throw down to first. There's no rule that says the batter can't stand in a direct line from the catcher to third, just as there is no rule that says a fielder can't be in the baseline at the start of the pitch. There is a rule that the fielder can't obstruct the runner who is legally running the bases unless they have the ball or is fielding a batted ball.
The same can be said with the throwing lane at third. Nothing in the rules that says she can't be there, just that she can't intentionally interfere with a thrown ball out of the batter's box. So if she stands there and the catcher doesn't throw, I have nothing. The coach might complain that she was in the throwing lane. I'd say nothing in the rule that prevents it. What she can't do is intentionally interfere with a thrown ball. If the catcher throws and the ball hits the batter then we can call interference. I might even call interference if the batter knows shes in the way and doesn't move and the catcher has to move to throw the ball around here delaying her throw and giving the runner time to make it to third. Would you call interference in that situation? Where the catcher moves to throw around the batter who is in the throwing lane? |
