Umpires what’s the call?

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May 3, 2016
55
8
Mo high school game. Runners on 1&2 stealing. Batter takes a ball, turns one foot in the box one out. Catcher throws to third but hits top of batters helmet and it leaves the field over the fence by the third base dugout. What’s the call.


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Apr 17, 2012
806
18
Wi
Not an ump but im going w interference batter is out. Return the runners to previous base?

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Nov 29, 2009
2,975
83
Mo high school game. Runners on 1&2 stealing. Batter takes a ball, turns one foot in the box one out. Catcher throws to third but hits top of batters helmet and it leaves the field over the fence by the third base dugout. What’s the call.


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Interference on the batter. The runner closest to home would be called out.
 

Strike2

Allergic to BS
Nov 14, 2014
2,044
113
Interference is EXTREMELY dependent on the umpire. I saw several examples this last weekend that could easily have been called, but weren't.

Without seeing the play, it's very difficult to judge this. The batter, simply by being in the box after a pitch, is doing what a batter does, and that isn't automatically "interference" because the catcher bounces a ball off the helmet.
 

MTR

Jun 22, 2008
3,438
48
It depends on whether the batter's re-positioning of her feet caused her to move into the catcher's way, which is suspect it did. With the foot out of the box, this makes the batter susceptible to an INT call (7.4.4). The batter would be declared out and all runners return to the base occupied at the time of the INT
 
Sep 14, 2011
768
18
Glendale, AZ
It depends on whether the batter's re-positioning of her feet caused her to move into the catcher's way, which is suspect it did. With the foot out of the box, this makes the batter susceptible to an INT call (7.4.4). The batter would be declared out and all runners return to the base occupied at the time of the INT

Good call, my friend....

There is some judgement involved here, but in the case of a batter watching a pitch go by for a ball, she is not making any or very little movement in the box that would be part of a swing. If she had stayed still and the throw went off her helmet, it would probably not be interference, and R1 would be awarded home and R2 third on the thrown ball that went out of play.

Like MTR, I envision the movement of the batter to get one foot out of the box after the pitch to be movement that "actively hinders" the catcher from making the throw and resulting in an interference call.
 
Nov 18, 2015
1,585
113
It sounds like "actively hinders" doesn't have to be intentional. Is that a correct interpretation?

Although given the scenario, I'm having a hard time picturing the play. I can see it happening on a delayed steal, but if a normal steal, would a batter have time to take a pitch, and move one foot out of the box, BEFORE the catcher has even released the ball?

Oh - and what was the call on the play, btw?
 
May 3, 2016
55
8
They went to the rule book for about 15 min. The ruling was runners at 2-3 with 1-0 count. Basically a no call. Home plate ump kept saying she was in the box when it struck her. My thoughts were if she was in the box it was the base they went to +1 if she was out of the box she was out on interference. The pitch she took for a ball had her backing up in the box. I didn’t see it because I immediately looked down to mark ball 1 in the book.


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Jul 22, 2015
851
93
Too often this is the result you get. I've seen similar calls several times. It is either interference or a live ball; they chose neither. The batter being in the box is not relevant if I understand the rule correctly. What matters is whether or not the batter made moves not natural to a swing or take and "actively hindered" the throw. At least that's my understanding.
 

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