Blown call - This umpire was way off!

[Izzy's Dad]

HS fastpitch. Our team is batting, and we have a runner on 2nd. The pitcher throws the 4th ball. Batter drops bat, and starts to take her base. Runner on 2nd is stealing 3rd. Catcher goes to throw out runner, and hits batter with the ball. The batter hasn't even had time to get out of the box yet. Ball bounces out, and our runner steals home.

Umpire calls batter out for interference, and makes our runner go back to 2nd!

The only words I can say is "WOW".

We won the game anyway, but still.

The funny thing is, I texted my buddy this info. His daughter plays for another high school in the same district as us. His first words were - "You must be playing at ****** high school". I couldn't help but laugh.

Thanks for letting me share.

 

[chinamigarden]

How is this not interference. Being in the box does not give you free reign. According to your description Batter drops her bat and begins to take her base, That means she had to have moved into the path of the throw. As far as your description goes, I would say the ump got this call correct.

 

[rachelsdad]

About the same thing happened to my DD this weekend. Other teams coach taught his teams batters to step out of box backwards on steal to 3rd. First time my DD does a drop step to throw behind batter to 3rd she hits her hand on the the batter, second time she holds up her throw because batter is square in the way at least 3 steps out of the box I mean the batter starts backing out at pitch release even that obvious ump he did nothing even after pointing it out, third time batter gets a ball right in the middle of the back, fourth one gets it in the helmet. Then to top it off my DD gets a warning of ejection if she did it again.

 

[Sparky Guy]

I would say the ump got this call correct.

This is HTBT. There is no way you can make a decision based upon the little bit of details here.

Here is what I'm seeing. Ball 4. The batter turns and throws the bat towards her dugout before leaving the batter's box, then turns back to start her trot towards 1st base. Seen it thousands of times before. It's a normal play in the game. The hitter has every right to be in the box until she vacates on her own unless there is a play at home plate.

What it sounds like is poorly trained catcher here and the ump rewarded her. Any catcher should be taught they must work around the hitter. The hitter does not have get out of their way on throw downs for steals. She can't move to block the throwing lane, but the hitter is not required move and create on for the catcher either.

I always teach my hitters to stand tall with the bat on their shoulder after a pitch when they know there is a steal on and they have the take sign. I tell them not to move no matter what the catcher does. I want to make sure the catcher is having to work around them.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

This is HTBT. There is no way you can make a decision based upon the little bit of details here.

Here is what I'm seeing. Ball 4. The batter turns and throws the bat towards her dugout before leaving the batter's box, then turns back to start her trot towards 1st base. Seen it thousands of times before. It's a normal play in the game. The hitter has every right to be in the box until she vacates on her own unless there is a play at home plate.

What it sounds like is poorly trained catcher here and the ump rewarded her. Any catcher should be taught they must work around the hitter. The hitter does not have get out of their way on throw downs for steals. She can't move to block the throwing lane, but the hitter is not required move and create on for the catcher either.

I agree...

 

[MTR]

HS fastpitch. Our team is batting, and we have a runner on 2nd. The pitcher throws the 4th ball. Batter drops bat, and starts to take her base. Runner on 2nd is stealing 3rd. Catcher goes to throw out runner, and hits batter with the ball. The batter hasn't even had time to get out of the box yet. Ball bounces out, and our runner steals home.

Umpire calls batter out for interference, and makes our runner go back to 2nd!

The only words I can say is "WOW".

We won the game anyway, but still.

The funny thing is, I texted my buddy this info. His daughter plays for another high school in the same district as us. His first words were - "You must be playing at ****** high school". I couldn't help but laugh.

Thanks for letting me share.

Didn't see the play so don't know if the umpire was "way off" or not, but the bold portion above leads me to believe the batter wasn't just standing there.

As noted, the box is not a sanctuary and the offensive player does have a responsibility to not interfere with a play.

 

[chinamigarden]

Standing in the box without moving is one thing. But moving into the catcher's way while in the box is interference. There is no absolute right to be in the box, especially when moving. Which is implied when the OP says the batter drops bat and starts to take her base. She moved into the throwing lane. Catchers may have to work around the batter, but when the batter is moving into the path of the throw its interference. Thats why you teach your players to stand still.

 

[Chris O'Leary]

Standing in the box without moving is one thing. But moving into the catcher's way while in the box is interference. There is no absolute right to be in the box, especially when moving. Which is implied when the OP says the batter drops bat and starts to take her base. She moved into the throwing lane. Catchers may have to work around the batter, but when the batter is moving into the path of the throw its interference. Thats why you teach your players to stand still.

Maybe if it was ball 3, but but she had just drawn a walk so movement associated with that is to be expected.

 

[chinamigarden]

Maybe if it was ball 3, but but she had just drawn a walk so movement associated with that is to be expected.

Movement is expected on the basepaths too, but interference is called there as well.

 

[MTR]

This is HTBT. There is no way you can make a decision based upon the little bit of details here.

Here is what I'm seeing. Ball 4. The batter turns and throws the bat towards her dugout before leaving the batter's box, then turns back to start her trot towards 1st base. Seen it thousands of times before. It's a normal play in the game. The hitter has every right to be in the box until she vacates on her own unless there is a play at home plate.

This comment is absolutely false. The BB is as not a sanctuary or owned by anyone. It is part of the playing field and if the catcher is making a play and the batter/runner acts in a manner which interferes with a play, it is interference.

In the play you offer, that is undoubtedly interference. If the BR was simply heading toward 1B, that is not interference unless she does something intentionally that could interfere with the catcher's attempt to throw the ball.

What it sounds like is poorly trained catcher here and the ump rewarded her. Any catcher should be taught they must work around the hitter. The hitter does not have get out of their way on throw downs for steals. She can't move to block the throwing lane, but the hitter is not required move and create on for the catcher either.

This would be true if the discussion concerned a batter. The discussion concerns a batter-runner.