Sorry for the double no post. Cell phone screw up. This is what I was trying to post:


So I was playing slowpitch D league softball last night and our short stop went to turn a double play. He fielded the ball, stepped on second, and threw it to first. The runner was only about half way to second when the throw occurred and made no attempt to get out of the way. The throw hit him and rolled off to the side. He was pissed that he got hit, but the short stop said he should have gotten out of the way and the guy at first should be out.

What say you mighty baseball board?

RULE 7.09

quote:

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(e) If, in the judgment of the umpire, a base runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead. The umpire shall call the runner out for interference and also call out the batter-runner because of the action of his teammate. In no event may bases be run or runs scored because of such action by a runner.
(f) If, in the judgment of the umpire, a batter-runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball, with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead; the umpire shall call the batter-runner out for interference and shall also call out the runner who had advanced closest to the home plate regardless where the double play might have been possible. In no event shall bases be run because of such interference.

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http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/

Summary: not interference unless it was intentional. runner has just as much right to the path as the fielder, just can't intentionally try to interfere.

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THE baseball fan

"Never yield to force, never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy" - Winston Churchill

[This message has been edited by matt.maggio3 (edited 11/15/2011 10:51a).]

Runner has right to be there no doubt, SS has right to throw to first. If runner thinks it's worth taking one for the team then more power to him. Like already stated there must be a deliberate intentional act to break up the DP and just being stupid and staying in the baseline is not deliberate,

SS is taught to get out of the base path for that throw.

the real question....it's slowpitch softball....d league. why does it matter? ha

It's at the umpire's discretion. If he watched where the ball was being thrown and intentionally stuck a hand out or jumped in the way, that's an easy call. If he was just running and not paying attention once he was out and he was giving up on the play/on his way back to the dugout, it'd probably not be interference, just stupid.

Runners are taught to slide into 2nd in that situation to get out of the way of the throw, but also to tangle the legs of the SS up to prevent a throw to first for a double play. Umpires rarely call anyone for interference for this. I've seen guys slide WAY away from the base where they don't even touch it, and they aren't called for interference. A&M gets called for it a lot in key situations though, ha. Or at least we did a few years against Rice.

In the OP it's pretty clear the runner was in the base path since he was only halfway to 2B when the ball hit him. Barring something intentional like sticking a hand out this is on the SS. Step on the bag then take one step towards RF, pivot and throw. SS 101. This isn't Playstation where forcing a runner out makes him fade from the field. You don't throw down the base path.

Runner can be pissed all he wants. neither was in the "wrong" though. As others said, SS shoulda taken another step left or right before throwing. not a big deal though in D league.

[This message has been edited by baseballag12 (edited 11/16/2011 1:40p).]