Really?

[tghorley]

Great weekend as both DGDs team and her old team were playing the same tournament. So I kind of doubled my pleasure. I did not see the play but while talking to a parent on her old team he explained a play that happened. Runner was on 1st base. When ball was hit between the 1st basemen and second basemen, she took off and the ball hit her. BU immediately called her out. The opposing coach argued that she should not be out because the 1st basemen nor second basemen could have made a play on the ball. What was surprising the BU told him that the 2nd basemen had an angle on the ball and that was the reason she was called out. At some point he explained that if she had not had the angle and he determined that neither infielder could not make a play, he would not have called the runner out. Huh? The tournament was NSA, but I don't know of any rule set that this would allow his explanation. Am I wrong?

 

[MTR]

Cannot speak for NSA, but for ASA, a player having the opportunity to make a play is NOT part of the rule.

The rule clearly states that a runner hit with a fair, untouched batted ball that has not passed an infielder other than the pitcher, is out.

 

[Momo'sDad]

The rule clearly states that a runner hit with a fair, untouched batted ball that has not passed an infielder other than the pitcher, is out.

Quite a few times in both rec and TB, I've seen umpires call the runner out for not avoiding the batted ball, even though the ball had passed another infielder other than P.

 

[Jr10234]

No play on the ball needed that I recall. Ball must pass infielders first, excluding pitcher.

 

[Bill Bollinger]

In this case, ball is hit to the left of the 2nd baseman and to the right of the 1st baseman, but let's say the 1st baseman is playing in front of the baseline. She does not attempt to get the ball but hits the runner in a position that is behind her. What is the call?

Bill

 

[BretMan]

In this case, ball is hit to the left of the 2nd baseman and to the right of the 1st baseman, but let's say the 1st baseman is playing in front of the baseline. She does not attempt to get the ball but hits the runner in a position that is behind her. What is the call?

Bill

If...the umpire judges that another fielder behind the runner (maybe F4 in this case) had an opportunity to make a play...then the runner is out for interference.

If...the umpire judges that another fielder behind the runner did not have an opportunity to make a play...then the runner isn't out- live ball, play on.

 

[shockcoach]

NSA:

When a baserunner is struck with a fair-batted ball in fair territory while off base and before it passes an infielder, excluding the pitcher.

 

[Umpireernie]

In defense of this anonymous umpire by your own telling of this story we are hearing what the umpire possibly said third hand.

Having said that if all of this is accurate it sounds like he made the right call but maybe for the wrong reason, or perhaps he was trying a bit to hard to defend his decision after the fact.

So long as the ball had not passed an infielder other than F1 and F2 it does not matter what angle the fielders may or may not have had on the ball. It's immediate dead ball, the runner who was struck with the batted ball is out, the batter-runner is placed at 1B (goes in the book as a fielder's choice, not a hit) and all other runners return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch unless forced because of the batter-runner being placed on 1B.

 

[tghorley]

Thanks everyone for clearing this up for me. My friend and i had it all wrong and he was a D1 baseball player so i don't feel too bad. I can't wait to tell him the skinny. Again, thanks!!!

 

[FutureUmp]

Great weekend as both DGDs team and her old team were playing the same tournament. So I kind of doubled my pleasure. I did not see the play but while talking to a parent on her old team he explained a play that happened. Runner was on 1st base. When ball was hit between the 1st basemen and second basemen, she took off and the ball hit her. BU immediately called her out. The opposing coach argued that she should not be out because the 1st basemen nor second basemen could have made a play on the ball. What was surprising the BU told him that the 2nd basemen had an angle on the ball and that was the reason she was called out. At some point he explained that if she had not had the angle and he determined that neither infielder could not make a play, he would not have called the runner out. Huh? The tournament was NSA, but I don't know of any rule set that this would allow his explanation. Am I wrong?

The BU made the right call for the right reason by ASA rules. If the second baseman had an angle on it even if had passed another player in the infield excluding the pitcher the runner hit is still out. This happened to another umpire I know. Once again this is ASA rules.