Announcement
Here are the next ten questions.
11. Batter hits to infielder who throws wild in attempt to retire batter at first. Ball hits coacher and bounds toward outfield, runner moving to third. Is this legal?
Answer -- Yes. Rule 3.15. An overthrown ball that accidentally touches the base coach will not be considered interference and the ball will remain live. If the base coach does some act to intentionally interfere, then we will call the batter-runner out for the base coaches interference.
12. Runner on second, batter hit fly ball which bounced from left fielder's glove into the air and is caught by the center fielder before the ball touched the ground. Runner left second base when the ball touched the left fielder's glove. An appeal was made because the runner left before the catch of the ball. Would this appeal be legal?
Answer -- No. Rule 7.08(d). Base runners can legally retouch their base once a fair ball is touched in flight and advance at their own risk if a fair or foul ball is caught. If this was not the case, then a fielder could juggle the ball in the air all the way into the infield before getting secure possession in either the hand or glove.
13. Is it permissible for two fielders to change their positions if they retain their original batting positions?
Answer -- Yes. Rule 3.08. Except for the pitcher, the umpire should not be concerned about the position of the other eight players. When the umpire is taking care of the line ups, position changes, except for those that include the pitcher, are not tracked by the umpire. The pitcher, the inning and number of outs when a pitcher enters the game, and the remaining player's number and their position in the line up are the items that should be tracked on the line up cards.
14. Runner on second base advances to third base when a pitched ball gets by the catcher and strikes the umpire. Can this runner advance?
Answer -- Yes. Rule 2.00. Interference (c). Umpire's interference occurs (1) when an umpire hinders, impedes, or prevents a catcher's throw attempting to prevent a stolen base, or (2) when a fair ball touches an umpire on fair territory before passing a fielder. A ball that gets past the catcher and hits the umpire, is nothing. It is the same as the ball getting past the catcher and hitting the backstop. The ball is live and runners may advance at their own risk.
15. Bases full, one out, batter bunts fly into the infield. Should the umpire rule this an infield fly?
Answer -- No. Rule 2.00. Infield fly... The infield fly definition explicitly excludes a line drive and an attempted bunt.
16. Runner on first base leaves too soon. Batter hits a clean double into left center, scoring the runner. Should this run score?
Answer -- No. Rule 7.13(b). When ANY runner leaves the base before the ball reaches the batter, ALL runners are affected. If the umpire judges the hit to be a clean double, and the batter-runner is at second at the end of the play, runners can advance only as far as they are forced by the batter. So in this case, the runner would be returned to third because that is as far as the runner is forced to advance. If the runner had started at third, he would still be returned to third. If the batter-runner hits what the umpire judges to be a clean double but gets thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple, the runners would be returned to their original base since no runner is forced to advance. More to come on Rule 7.13.
17. Batted ball first strikes in foul territory. Due to spin on the ball, it enters fair territory before it has passed either first or third base but it did not touch a fence, player, or equipment. Would this be a fair ball?
Answer -- Yes. Rule 2.00. Fair ball. Since a ball can begin by rolling in foul territory and then enter fair territory before passing either first or third base and be a fair ball, care should be exercised in not calling "foul" too quickly. Once you call it foul, the ball is dead and can not be undone.
18. Batted ball hits third base then goes into foul territory. Should the umpire rule this a foul ball?
Answer -- No. Rule 2.00. Fair ball. A ball that touches first, second, or third base is, by definition, a fair ball.
19. Runners on first and third bases, two out. Batter hits to short-stop who makes play at second on runner coming from first. Runner on third scores. Should this run count?
Answer -- No. Rule 4.09(a). Exceptions. A run is not scored if the runner advances to home base during a play in which the third out is made (1) by the batter-runner before touching first base; (2) by any runner being forced out; or (3) by a preceding runner who is declared out because that runner failed to touch one of the bases (appeal play). So exception (2) is why this run does not count.
20. Runner on first steals second base. Umpire interfered with the catcher's throw to retire the runner. Would this steal be permitted?
Answer -- No. Rule 2.00 Interference (c). Umpire's interference occurs (1) when an umpire hinders, impedes, or prevents a catcher's throw attempting to prevent a stolen base, or (2) when a fair ball touches an umpire on fair territory before passing a fielder. If the runner is thrown out, the out will stand. If the runner is safe when the umpire interfered with the catcher's throw attempt, then call "time" and put the runner back to the base they were on for "umpire's interference".
