YOU MAKE THE CALL....

Here's one for you.

This is one I've never heard of. I do not have a current rule book either, so I can't factually support it or refute it.

Sunny day with a little breeze, very high pop up to 3B just inside the line, ball hits off the end of defender's glove and falls to the ground in fair territory, hitter wound up at 2B. Umpire in the field calls verbal interference on the third base dugout and declares the batter out. Umpire's explanation was that the dugout yelling during the play distracted the fielder and was the reason he did not make the catch. For a rules interpretation he stated that interference did not have to be physical, it could be verbal as well if it was deemed it confused the fielder.

I always thought that offensive interference had to with physical impedance of a fielder in the progression of making a play. Anyone have a rule book handy to shed light on this one?

 

Interference Rule

you must have had a by the book umpire and in this case the call is correct as there is verbal interference that allows for an out to be called.

 

Hit Batsman

I need help on this one. I witnessed it today. Pitcher throws the pitch which travels roughly 55 feet, bounces in the dirt and hits the batter in the batters box as he tries to jump out of the way. Ump does not award 1st base but simply calls it a ball. Why was the batter not awarded 1st? Again, he was not in the strike zone, he did not swing, the ball bounced in front of the plate, the batter attempted to dodge the ball.....

 

Hit batter

wrong call by the ump. send the batter to first base as he WAS hit by a pitch.

 

The batter was not awarded 1st because the umpire did not know the rules.

 

There is no way I would ever call offensive interference on a player I cannot call out. You cannot call a player from the dugout out, so in my opinion the dugout could have been setting off fireworks, its not verbal interference.

 

Great, great answer

 

BTW, there are some really knowledgeable people posting on this board. I love these "You make the call" senarios.

 

fun with the rule book

Reposted in a poll format.