Softball Trivia

[AtlUmpSteve]

The answer I have is that IF it is a fair batted ball, then that is a retired offensive team member that blocked the ball, not a batter-runner; but if it ends up foul, it is simply a foul ball. Nothing inherently wrong with a batter running to first instinctively when hitting the ball, even if she can't ever actually be a batter-runner in this case.

Despite being blocked (and thus immediately dead) by the retired batter, there must be a "play" for there to be interference.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

The answer I have is that IF it is a fair batted ball, then that is a retired offensive team member that blocked the ball, not a batter-runner; but if it ends up foul, it is simply a foul ball. Nothing inherently wrong with a batter running to first instinctively when hitting the ball, even if she can't ever actually be a batter-runner in this case.

Despite being blocked (and thus immediately dead) by the retired batter, there must be a "play" for there to be interference.

What he said.

[HugoTafurst]

Mr. MD Longhorn,
OK, what was (is) it that you want the call to be?

[DeputyUICHousto]

I'm reading too much into this or not thinking it through but...if a runner going from 1st to 2nd is hit with a fair batted ball do we get the runner closest to home out also?

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by DeputyUICHousto

I'm reading too much into this or not thinking it through but...if a runner going from 1st to 2nd is hit with a fair batted ball do we get the runner closest to home out also?

Without delving into the rule books that I don't have handy, the only out recorded here is on the runner who was hit with the batted ball, unless you judge she did something to prevent a double play.

Outs on runners closest to home typically occur when a player who has already been put out interferes with a play.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by DeputyUICHousto

I'm reading too much into this or not thinking it through but...if a runner going from 1st to 2nd is hit with a fair batted ball do we get the runner closest to home out also?

Apples and oranges, man. Think through the basic rules about interference in softball (with one NCAA exception that tries to follow smallball logic) and who is out.

1) The person who interferes is always the person that is out. (Here is the NCAA exception that would only cloud this point).
2) If the person that interferes cannot be called out on interference, it is always (again, except one exception for the traditional "turning two in the middle" doubleplay) the runner closest to home that is out.

#2 exists to cover 1) offensive players that are already out (like on an IFF), 2) runners that have already scored, 3) offensive coaches, 4) on-deck batters, and 5) whatever idiot on the offensive team that left loose equipment on the field. There may be a type 6, but I can't think of one.

So, you are asking about a #1 interference penalty, when this thread is dealing with one form of #2 (NO, there isn't any such designation, just referring within this post for clarity.)