What do you have? Infield fly ... and?

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Feb 27, 2019
137
28
Shouldn't play have been stopped for the infield fly? meaning it's already a dead ball. Either the batter is on the moment the infield fly is called and everyone returns or the ball is live and the runner could be called for obstruction / interference at first to take the runner going home is a bit much.
 
Aug 1, 2019
195
43
South Carolina
Shouldn't play have been stopped for the infield fly? meaning it's already a dead ball. Either the batter is on the moment the infield fly is called and everyone returns or the ball is live and the runner could be called for obstruction / interference at first to take the runner going home is a bit much.
An infield fly call does not result in a dead ball. The ball remains live and runners may run at their own risk.

You cannot have obstruction here because the fielder who caused the batter-runner to deviate was the one who was attempting to catch the ball. That makes her the "protected" fielder, and that fielder can go anywhere she needs to go to make the play. Only if another fielder had a better opportunity to make the play in the umpire's judgment would she be guilty of obstruction.

So the issue here is whether or not the BR interfered with the first baseperson's opportunity to make the catch. It's purely a judgment call. Some feel the BR did what she was supposed to do, and that was try not to get into the fielder's way. But doing "what she was supposed to do" doesn't always excuse a runner's action. More important is whether or not she hindered the fielder. The argument can go either way.

But let's say she did hinder the first baseperson. Now you have the issue of the BR's status when it happened. This was a high school game, and by NFHS rules, Rule 2-30 says an Infield Fly happens when it is declared by the umpire. If the BR hindered the first baseperson before the Infield Fly was declared, then all you have here is Interference by a BR, so it's an immediate dead ball, the BR is out, and all runners return. However, as you can see, the PU did have his hand up declaring the Infield Fly before the BR reached the first baseperson, so she was already out when she might've hindered her. That's interference by a retired BR, so the runner closest to home is out.

So this could result in either no interference, the BR is out on the Infield Fly, and the runner from third scores, or interference by the retired BR because of the infield fly, and the runner from third is also out.
 
Sep 29, 2014
2,421
113
As everyone is stating it's completely a judgement call and once the judgement is made the result is pretty straight forward.

I don't really see interference but it is close and I would not fault any umpire especially in real time calling interference and since it appears that was the judgement at the time BR is out as well as runner on third.
 
Jun 7, 2019
170
43
I believe the fielding team won 8-6.

Spanish Fork vs. Bear River

Final ......... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ..R .H E
Span. Fork 2 2 0 1 0 0 1 2 ..8 10 4
Bear River. 0 3 1 0 0 0 2 0 ..6 ..8 4

Thanks, OmniscientFan!

I watched the end of that game earlier this morning. As you can see from the boxscore, the home team came into the bottom of the 7th down 2. They got their first batter on, and then the next batter tied it with a 2-run HR. Only then did the setup to what we saw in the OP start with loading the bases, and then the dropped infield fly that seemingly won the game for Bear River, only to be followed by that fateful "phantom interference" call that took the short-lived win away. Hard to overcome that kind of emotional pit fall, and Spanish Fork took advantage with 2 in the top of the 8th. Bear River went quiety into the night after that. Good game!
 

Tex

Sep 13, 2011
46
8
In order for an infield fly to be in effect with this play, must have less than 2 outs and runners on 1st, 2nd, or all three bases. Umpire always yells on an infield fly, “Batter is out if Fair” while the ball is in flight. The umpire calls interference on the BR, while colliding with the 1st baseman in her attempt to make a play on the fly ball in fair territory. Therefore, the ball now becomes dead and rule 8-6-16-c applies. The BR and the runner closest to home are out. Result of play are 2 outs.

If beginning of play there was “1” out, after play now have “3” outs.

If beginning of play there were “0” outs after play now have “2” outs with possible runners on 1st and/or 2nd.

8-6-16-c (penalty) The ball is dead and the runner closest to home plate at the time of the interference shall be declared out. Each other runner must return to the last base touched at the time of the interference.
 

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