Expert: Rick Bundy - 5/29/2011

Question
Let me set up the play.  Runner was on first.  Batted ball cam between first and second.  Runner ran baseline to second however had to jump over the ball to get to second.  Fielder fielded ball. No call was made by umpire.  Defensive coach challenged the umpire and said it was obstruction.  After a protest of game the ruling my umpire was that the runner was out and the otheeplayers had to return to the base before the batted ball.  What would have been a correct ruling in this situation?

Answer
Stephanie:  That sounds like it became a little complicated.

Obstruction is a infraction on the defensive team.  Interference is an infraction on the offensive team.

The correct term they should have called was interference on the runner.  If, in the judgement of the umpire the runner interfered with the fielder's ability to field the ball or turn the double play, he should have called the runner out at second, and the batter/runner out at first.  Double play, 2 outs and bases empty or three outs and inning over.

It is not necessarily interference when a runner jumps over a ground ball, on their way to the next base.  They have a right to avoid the ball hitting them, as they would be out and the ball declared dead if it does hit them.

If the runner intentionally slowed down so as to attempt to hinder the fielder's vision, the umpire could justify an interference call.  As the fielder fielded the ball with no problem, the play should have just run it's sequence with no call, which would have happened if the defensive team hadn't protested.  

The umpire made the decision in real time, he was under no obligation to change that "no call", if it was determined by what he observed.

Umpire's generally make no call in that situation, unless there is a blatant attempt to hinder the fielder.

The situations in baseball can get interesting.

Yours in baseball,

Rick