What's your call?

[umpodie]

This question came up as a ‘what would you call it?’ while killing time waiting for our high school umpire meeting to start last night.

I think the answer would be the same for all organizations, but waiting to see if correct (most of us cover Fed, Little League, ASA and/or USSSA):

Situation:

Bases loaded

Two outs

Uncaught 3rd strike, balls skips a little past F2

The wheel starts turning as runners start to advance

As BR heads to first

F2 grabs ball and moves into the left hand batter box to throw to first

Just before F2 can make the throw she is hit by R3, who stepped on home but then her momentum took her past home and into F2

What is your call?


I can tell you what the umpire called, but no one will like it:

His eyes were on BR going to first, he turned after he heard the collision at home and called R3 out…he never saw the touch of home.

OK, in case someone asks/comments no idea why F2 didn’t just step on the plate, or why the umpire wasn’t following the ball. It was a scrimmage and no one got heated, the umpire that saw/described the play was wondering what the proper call should be.

What most of us thought:

R3 scores, count the run
Then we have interference by a retired runner/teammate
Runner closest to home is out on the interference


Not everyone was convinced, but they didn’t come up with an answer, so I figured I’d ask the community and see what people thought.

Thanks
umpodie

 

[canyonjoe]

I'm going to say batter going to first is out on interference, no run scores because last out is a force. But it's just a wild guess

 

[Ajaywill]

....

R3 scores, count the run
Then we have interference by a retired runner/teammate
Runner closest to home is out on the interference...

This is exactly the correct answer and a textbook application of that portion of the interference rule.

From your description, the only additional thing I could see may be a judgement of malicious contact by the runner, but all that would do is add an ejection to the scenario.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Would the correct call be any different if the catcher was accidently bumped into by R3 and lost the ball when in the process of starting after the batter who, oblivious to the DTS, was walking away from the plate? Would it make a difference whether R3 had NOT touched home plate before contacting the catcher?

 

[Comp]

Doesnt make any difference if the batter was oblivous to the DTS and walking away from the plate or not. But, makes all the difference in the world if R3 ran into the catcher before she touched the plate. Same play as presented, but running into the catcher prior to touching the plate, it would be an immediate dead ball, R3 is out, no run scores.

 

[umpodie]

Greenmonsters. I would think your 'what if' doesn't really change things much.
Interference doesn't have to be intentional, so we still have interference by a retired runner/teammate...so we have a dead ball and an out.
I am still calling the runner closet to home out and counting the run.
If the runner had missed home, I guess I'd still count the run, based on all bases are assumed touched when the runner passes them....so count the run again...unless the defense uses a proper 4th out appeal to take the run off the board.
If all this happned before the runner reaches home....see comp's answer.

 

[Greenmonsters]

Doesnt make any difference if the batter was oblivous to the DTS and walking away from the plate or not. But, makes all the difference in the world if R3 ran into the catcher before she touched the plate. Same play as presented, but running into the catcher prior to touching the plate, it would be an immediate dead ball, R3 is out, no run scores.

Doesn't make sense to me, but on the other hand, the catcher should have enough sense to step on the plate to begin with.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Doesn't make sense to me, but on the other hand, the catcher should have enough sense to step on the plate to begin with.

Calling IF in all these cases does seem inconsistent with the play at 2B where the fielder has to work around the runner. I would expect more of a HTBT or conditional response for determining the correct call.

 

[Comp]

There is a big difference in a defender at 2nd clearing a throwing lane for a relay to 1st base while a runner is legally advancing and a defender getting run over while attempting a play by a runner or a retired runner.

 

[SoCal_Dad]

Run over? Where did that come from?

What if F2 unexpectantly moved into the path of the runner at the last second and they couldn't avoid them? It's not like the fielder has the right-of-way like when fielding a batted ball.