You make the call...............

[K2C Sooner]

I'm assuming the catcher was throwing to third base on a steal.............

I used to do some umpiring in my younger days. I would have called the base runner out. I have no idea on the batter or catcher...............

 

[Medic007]

I've got to call that one a balls walk...

 

[Plainosooner]

The batter doesn't have to leave the box. I wonder if he said the wrong thing earlier in the AB. If I were behind the plate with the clicker in my hand, the catcher might be gone, depending on what had happened earlier. If it wasn't a dirty play, it was one of the stupidest I've ever seen.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

I would have tossed the catcher and then anyone else that came out bitching.

 

[JConXtsy]

The funny part is that it's still a live ball. The catcher is trying to bitch, and the ump just looks down at the ball and gives the open hands like, "hey dumbass, it's still live."

 

[Plainosooner]

He's trying to throw to third, so it's unlikely that runner is going to try to come home, with the batter laying in the path to home plate, but the catcher ain't the brightest bulb on the shelf.

 

[Schoonerman]

I would have tossed the catcher and then anyone else that came out bitching.

The batter does not have to leave the box and the catcher made no attempt to get or throw around the batter. What he did was the epitome of poor sportsmanship. I too would have ejected the catcher and the anyone who stepped out of the dugout to argue in his defense.

 

[gratefulRed]

since when does the batter not have to make an attempt to get out of the way? I'm not sure of the exact rule...but i thought the batter had to at least attempt to move out of the way. If not...then a batter could actually move up or back in the box and intentionally get in the catchers way. Is this just a judgement call by the ump or is there a hard and fast rule about this?? Granted, the catcher did not attempt to throw around the batter...but it was clear the batter was intentionally staying in the way of a direct throw. Either way....that video is funny as hell. Catcher may have been "in the wrong"....but he sure as hell had the last laugh.

 

[sybarite]

The batter has every right to be in the box. I kind of wonder what kind of throw it would be if it were to hit the runner in the "stomach" at that level. Was it ever going to get to third? Strange throw. The catcher usually steps out towards the front of the plate when throwing to a base, partially to avoid the batter, partially to stride into the throw.

Since I can't conceive of what the catcher was throwing to or how it was to get there, I think he needs to spend some time on the bench figuring out how to throw to third, or anywhere else. Ejection is the first step. Since he is now ejected, somebody needs to cover home to protect against the runner coming in.

Where would that ball have gone?

 

[Plainosooner]

Usually on a throw to third, a catcher step behind the batter, not in front.

 

[sybarite]

On a short throw, why is the catcher even trying to rise and throw. That should come from the knees. He's not throwing to second.

 

[K2C Sooner]

The batter has every right to be in the box. I kind of wonder what kind of throw it would be if it were to hit the runner in the "stomach" at that level. Was it ever going to get to third? Strange throw. The catcher usually steps out towards the front of the plate when throwing to a base, partially to avoid the batter, partially to stride into the throw.

Since I can't conceive of what the catcher was throwing to or how it was to get there, I think he needs to spend some time on the bench figuring out how to throw to third, or anywhere else. Ejection is the first step. Since he is now ejected, somebody needs to cover home to protect against the runner coming in.

Where would that ball have gone?

I've seen that throwing motion when turning a double play.
That brings up another question. On the double play, isn't the runner out if he is in line of play and gets hit?
Very rarely happens as they duck. That's what confused me on the original video.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Well, to me, it clearly looks as if the catcher is by design, throwing the ball at the batter. He then quickly points to the batter as if he's complaining. I'd throw him out immediately. And if I was coaching against him and the ump didn't toss him, I'd bean the hell out of him at his next at bat.

 

[sybarite]

A base runner is only out if he is not in the baseline. If the runner is inside the baseline, he can impede any thrown ball unless he makes an obvious effort to do so. Dizzy Dean let them hit him in the head with a relay. OK. If the runner goes out of the baseline to disrupt the throw, he is out.

About the only thing that a base runner has to fear is being hit by a batted ball. He's out. Play is dead. Hitter gets credited with a hit. That's why you are taught to run to home plate in foul territory from third.

 

[Plainosooner]

The runner is facing the person making the throw. The batter isn't.

 

[Plainosooner]

The rule book says:
The batter is out if .... "He interferes with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter’s box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher’s play at home base."

In this case, the batter didn't move. He stood still in the batter's box, which is what he is supposed to do. It is the job of the catcher to avoid hitting a batter who is standing still in the batter's box.

The batter in this video did what he was supposed to do. The catcher screwed up.

BTW, if youi want to look it up, the rule is 6:06 c in the MLB rule book. But the rule will apply across the board in just about any rule book, I believe. There are variances of some rules for example in Little League baseball, or Pony League. But I doubt it would be different in this instance. And these players in the video aren't kids.

 

[K2C Sooner]

The rule book says:
The batter is out if .... "He interferes with the catcher’s fielding or throwing by stepping out of the batter’s box or making any other movement that hinders the catcher’s play at home base."

In this case, the batter didn't move. He stood still in the batter's box, which is what he is supposed to do. It is the job of the catcher to avoid hitting a batter who is standing still in the batter's box.

The batter in this video did what he was supposed to do. The catcher screwed up.

BTW, if youi want to look it up, the rule is 6:06 c in the MLB rule book. But the rule will apply across the board in just about any rule book, I believe. There are variances of some rules for example in Little League baseball, or Pony League. But I doubt it would be different in this instance. And these players in the video aren't kids.

Well I guess that settles that.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

Plaino,
A rule question. If a SS is fielding a ground ball and a base runner (who was on 2nd and is running to 3rd) runs into the SS disrupting the fielding of the play, what's the call?

 

[Plainosooner]

Plaino,
A rule question. If a SS is fielding a ground ball and a base runner (who was on 2nd and is running to 3rd) runs into the SS disrupting the fielding of the play, what's the call?

The guy fielding the ball has priority, but it depends on the situation. If it's first and second and less than two outs, then if an umpire rules it was intentional, you have an answer to a trivia question: How can a fielder be credited with an unassisted double play without touching the ball.

If it is ruled unintentional, or there is a runner only on second, then the runner is out, the batter is awarded first base and if there is also a runner at third, he must return to third base. If there is a force play and the runner is determined to have intentional tried to break up the double play, either by letting the ball hit him, or by interfering with the field, then the umpire is instructed to declare a double play.

If there are two outs, and the batter interferes with any attempt, for example on an attempt by a runner on third to try to score on a passed ball or just s simple steal, then the batter is out. If there are less than two outs, then the runner is declared out. The difference with two outs, is who would lead off the next inning.

All of that is in 6.01. But there are about six paragraphs that apply.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

The guy fielding the ball has priority, but it depends on the situation. If it's first and second and less than two outs, then if an umpire rules it was intentional, you have an answer to a trivia question: How can a fielder be credited with an unassisted double play without touching the ball.

If it is ruled unintentional, or there is a runner only on second, then the runner is out, the batter is awarded first base and if there is also a runner at third, he must return to third base. If there is a force play and the runner is determined to have intentional tried to break up the double play, either by letting the ball hit him, or by interfering with the field, then the umpire is instructed to declare a double play.

If there are two outs, and the batter interferes with any attempt, for example on an attempt by a runner on third to try to score on a passed ball or just s simple steal, then the batter is out. If there are less than two outs, then the runner is declared out. The difference with two outs, is who would lead off the next inning.

All of that is in 6.01. But there are about six paragraphs that apply.

Thank You. In this case, there was a runner on 2nd & 3rd base, w/ two outs. A ground ball to SS, the runners move and the one on 2 nd base runs into the SS. Both runners runner were allowed to advance. The batter was awarded first base. No one was called out. That run was eventually the winning run of the game. Oh well.

 

[Plainosooner]

I've worked with varsity basketball officials who didn't know rules but just called games by the seat of their pants. The lower you get in the pecking order, the more likely you have to get an official or umpire who doesn't know the rules, much less how to apply them. When you have somebody reasonable, they'll answer your questions. Sometimes they won't.

Through a strange sequence of events in an 11 year olds baseball game of a good team I was coaching, my team won a league by half a game and then a city championship, because of a ruling the a young man got right, because I asked the right questions after a complicated play. I only learned at then end of the season, that the 15 year old umpire was the son of the coach of the other team. A kid with a ton of integrity.

If I had been in your position, I'd have asked the umpire if the runner had hit the player in the process field the ground ball. If the umpire said yes, but it didn't matter, then you have a protestable event. If he said that the runner didn't hit the fielder, then you have nothing to protest, because that's a judgment issue. Asking the right questions only works about half the time. But sometimes, it's a really important half.