Here's a good rule question for you guys...

Here's a fun, strange play/rule scenario for you guys! This took place in my 12 year old's rec game the other night. Here's the situation:

Runner on 3rd with 1 out. Pitch is delivered, batter swings late and hits the catcher's mitt after the ball was already in the mitt. Ball travels out of the mitt all the way to the SS. Glove lands halfway to the pitchers mound! SS throws the runner out at 1st. Runner on 3rd breaks for home on the throw, 1st baseman fires home and the runner is called safe.

Now for all the confusion! Home plate umpire is yelling catcher's interference during the entire play. Then mass confusion ensues as the umpires try to figure out what is what. They finally put the batter back on 1st base safely and send the runner back to third.

My thoughts are this is the correct call, because isn't it a dead ball as soon as the catcher's interference is called since the ball was already in his glove? It wasn't a batted ball so it couldn't be a "delayed dead ball" awaiting for the result of the play, correct?

Of course the coach was arguing his run should count and even the umpire started doubting his own call.

Thoughts? You gotta love 12 year old rec ball!

 

While we wait on experts - because I have no rule at all...

I say ball is dead at the contact. Runners remain where they were. Pitch is counted as what it was (would have been) called, ball or strike. ALL this precipitated by fact that umpire could/did determine ball was in glove when batter swung. Field ump would have to be involved.

If it could not be determined that ball was in glove/pitch complete prior to contact, then it would be interference and batter gets 1B, bases now loaded.

 

Showcase vs Legion

With a little baiting I bet I can turn this into a showcase vs. legion arguement.

Would this call been handled better by legion umpires or showcase ones.
Would the reaction of players, fans and coaches been different??
Which league has fewer catchers interference calls?
Is it because legion lacks talent or showcase isn't about winning?

 

Easy one...
In Showcase no one would care.
As long as the gun said 90 on the pitch, and the batter's swing was textbook - both seen by the scouts in the stands - then neither coach would care about the outcome of the play.
Further, less catcher interference in Showcase because the catchers are all better there, (Couldn't resist that one AGYK!) as well as better/shorter batter's swings.

Now please remove the hook from my mouth - catch and release!

 

Taxidermy

I don't know.....................you might look good on my wall.

 

Catcher's interference rule

Unless it was deemed that the batter intentionally swung late just to hit the catcher's glove (which I doubt very highly)........we have good old catcher's interference......which means the offensive coach has the right to take the result of the play if it was determined the batter actually batted the ball. In this play if in the umpire's judgement the ball was not actually batted then the umpire is going to enforce the catcher's interference and give the batter first base and send the runner back to 3rd base.

If the batter intentionally interferred with the catcher then the batter is going to be called out.

There is more info to add to a batter interference call but I don't want to confuse this play more than what actually occured.

 

Definitely not intentional. I couldn't get the umpire to understand that there's two different scenarios depending on if the ball was batted or the catcher caught it first. He made the right call giving the batter 1b and putting the runner back at 3b, but I still don't think he understands why he made the call!

 

Did the catcher have time to retrieve his mitt before the throw home? or did he snag it bare-handed?

 

Haha, he got it. That would have made the play even more bizarre and awesome if he had barehanded it!

 

I'm sure a legion catcher wouldn't hesitate to catch a throw from 1st bare-handed, while a showcase guy wouldn't risk it.