Retired Runner interference

[Chris8]

NCAA D2 Regional game.
R1 on 2nd, R2 on 1st base. no outs. Batter hits a ground ball to F6. "possible" interference on R1 advancing to 3B. F6 throws to F4 who tags 2b before R2 arrives. R2 does not slide. F4 throws ball to 1B in attempt to complete the double play. Ball is thrown hard and ricochets off R2 helmet. R2 had already been put out by the force at 2B.

Umpires stop play. Conference. Then they also declare R1 out at 3B.

It was obviously retired runner/player interference since R2 was already out advancing to second base.

At that point it is a dead ball, correct?

And the R1 was called out since she was the closest runner to home?
There was discussion on if it should have been R1 or Batter/Runner who should have been the second out as a result of the retired runner interference.

Did they make the correct call? If not what would the correct call be?

 

[Rolling Hard]

I would call the batter out but I'm not an ump

 

[eddieq]

Interference by a retired runner is the "runner closest to home" put out. So if that's what they judged, the correct person was declared out. Entirely judgement call and it sounds like they got together to make sure they made the right ruling.

The whole "possible interference" on R1 advancing is a red herring. Either they interfered or they didn't. So don't read into the ruling they made that it was due to the initial "possible interference".

 

[Chris8]

Interference by a retired runner is the "runner closest to home" put out. So if that's what they judged, the correct person was declared out. Entirely judgement call and it sounds like they got together to make sure they made the right ruling.

The whole "possible interference" on R1 advancing is a red herring. Either they interfered or they didn't. So don't read into the ruling they made that it was due to the initial "possible interference".

The reason I included the "possible interference" on R1 is as the play happened I thought it could have been called, but i would not have. When they declared R1 out, that elicited all kinds of upset from the offensive team. My DD's team was on defense....former club mates and HS rivals were on the offensive team so a lot of us have known each other for years. The ensuing upset by the offensive team not understanding what had just happened. They contended that either R1 was out play dead (that was not the call on the field) and runners on 1st and 2nd. Or that the retired runner and Batter Runner should be out not the runner closest to home.

I explained what you just confirmed as why it played out that way. Thank you for the clarification and response.

 

[Rolling Hard]

R2 will have learned a lesson. Slide or get out of the way

 

[The Man In Blue]

I can see how this would have caused confusion, as typically you see the “back end” call on the interference being the back end of the double play attempt. Add to that, if there is an R2 (the number corresponds with the base, not the order of the runners), usually it is the second and third outs so it doesn’t really matter which one is actually being called out.

Good call!

 

[The Man In Blue]

R2 will have learned a lesson. Slide or get out of the way

This is really starting to become a point of emphasis. NFHS Baseball now has an interp requiring slide or veer away … even if you are ducking, you cannot go straight in.

 

[Rolling Hard]

How do players get to college or even mlb and not know when or how to slide?
I believe I read somewhere that improper sliding is the cause of a lot of injuries.

 

[MoJo]

How do players get to college or even mlb and not know when or how to slide?
I believe I read somewhere that improper sliding is the cause of a lot of injuries.

How is a current MLB HC only getting one correct answer on a rules quiz?

 

[Chris8]

I can see how this would have caused confusion, as typically you see the “back end” call on the interference being the back end of the double play attempt. Add to that, if there is an R2 (the number corresponds with the base, not the order of the runners), usually it is the second and third outs so it doesn’t really matter which one is actually being called out.

Good call!

Thank you. I thought the runners corresponded to where they were in order of plate appearance not base location. Thanks!