Retired Runner Hit with Throw

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by DeputyUICHousto

But, its an HTBT (had to be there). The rule says...the runner is out when a runner interferes with a fielder attempting to throw the ball or with a thrown ball. If this interference, in the umpire's judgement, is an attempt ot prevent a double play the the immediate trailing runner shall also be called out.

If you judge this as interference, since it is by a retired runner then the runner closest to home would be out. On this particular play, that just happens to be the trailing batter-runner. But that isn't always the case- there could be a more advanced runner ahead of the interfering one.

The immediately trailing runner is out when the interference is committed by a runner who has not yet been retired.

But on to the play at hand...

All we have to go by is the description that R1 was "just jogging toward the bag" when the throw hit her. I have a hard time visualizing that as interference. When a runner is running the bases, just exactly where would you expect her to be other than in the baseline advancing toward a base?

Runners aren't expected to vanish, duck, dive, veer or peel off the instant they're retired.