Batter makes contact with glove at 1st

[FPDD_cabbie]

Just wondering what the call could be.

The Batter lays down a bunt between 1st & pitcher. Pitcher (F1) get the ball before F3 and throws to F4 covering 1st. F4 catches the ball just in front and over her left shoulder, very close to her body. Batter makes contact with F4 and her glove knocking the ball loose.

1st base has the safety base (orange bag) and F4 is on the white portion of the bag.

Is this interference on the batter, or batter is safe due to F4 not holding onto the ball?

[Coach11]

Just wondering what the call could be.

The Batter lays down a bunt between 1st & pitcher. Pitcher (F1) get the ball before F3 and throws to F4 covering 1st. F4 catches the ball just in front and over her left shoulder, very close to her body. Batter makes contact with F4 and her glove knocking the ball loose.

1st base has the safety base (orange bag) and F4 is on the white portion of the bag.

Is this interference on the batter, or batter is safe due to F4 not holding onto the ball?

More info needed.

You said F4 "is on white portion"....completely? Or is her foot there and her body blocking runner from reaching orange bag? Or did the throw cause her to cross over into foul territory in front of orange bag before she moved back into fair territory and onto white bag?

Did F3's positioning force BR to move towards white bag?

[FPDD_cabbie]

From what I can remember F3 was not near the base path to first so F3 did not obstruct the Batter from running the chalk line.

F4 is standing on the 1st (white portion) with her left side of her body so her left foot may be centered in the white portion. Right foot off the base toward 2nd base but her weight is more toward her left side of her body. F4 catches the ball and the glove tilts back a little but still over the her left shoulder. F4 was not blocking the orange portion of 1st base (IMO), she was standing in Fair Territory with both feet. By F4's position her glove is close to being over the middle of 1st base, the divide between the white & orange portion.

I could not see where the Batter's first foot landed on the base but she was following the chalk line to 1st base.

That is probably the most information I can give you, it was a quick & close play.

[Coach11]

Based on your description of the play, it sounds as though runner should have been out for not attempting to avoid F4 by using orange bag.

Ump could have felt it was incidental contact though, and called runner safe.

Hard to say without actually having seen it.

[GIMNEPIWO]

I'm a newbe ... but I still think we need more info ... info that you can't supply since you did not see where the BR's foot landed, Orange Bag or White Bag ... What I think that Coach11 was getting at was that if F4's foot was one the white,but her body was over the orange when the BR contacted the glove and the ball was knocked out ... BR is safe as long as the contact was not malicious or intentional ... if the BR hit the orange but her body was over the white, it could be interference and not obstruction, BR is out ... if F4 was on the wrong base its obstruction, if the BR was on the wrong base its interference ... ( disclaimer ) but WTF do I know ?

[FPDD_cabbie]

Coach11 & GIMNEPIWO,

Thanks for enlightening me. The umpire did rule 'Incidental contact' but the coach argued the Batter did not make any attempt to avoid contact. Without a picture to review everything that happened is IMO.

[wadeintothem]

I think if this were an umpire discussion, you would get a range of response and disagreement.

So here goes my best shot.

1) If F3 caught the ball before the BR was on the bag - The BR is out on the catch and out at 1B. Subsequent activity after the out is irrelevant in this instance. So was possession established and was there a catch? If so, we have an out and a drop after the catch based on contact which is nothing (presuming no other plays loomed). Thats going to be a tough sell if it was all simultaneous IMO.

2) Interference or wreck? - The easiest INT on this play would be if the runner touched the white bag - something you did not address. Its going to be a tough sell on any other INT on this play because based on your description, I have F4 essentially getting pulled into the BR by a less than perfect throw. If the runner is good to go as far as the orange bag and arrives at the bag simultaneous with the fielder and the ball.. we have nothing. A BR cannot interfere with a throw. What did the BR do to interfere with this throw? If the runner did not interfere with a throw, there is no interference. I dont see an act of INT based on your description.. but I could be sold on it and could see how it could happen.

3) Does your fielder have the ball at the time of contact? If that fielder does not have possession and there is no INT, there very well could be obstruction by F4. INT supercedes OBS, so if no INT, OBS looms as a potential call. If there is OBS, I would signal it and protect the runner between 1B and 2B and probably return the runner to 1B if tagged out at 2B.

All that said...

Safe, play ball. Catch the ball next time.

Edit: My response is for ASA.

[Busted Shins]

Recall OP.

3) .... If there is OBS, I would signal it and protect the runner between 1B and 2B and probably return the runner to 1B if tagged out at 2B.

Wade, I'd like to confirm my understanding of this. I think what you said means "obstruction on the bag means protection between that base and the next base." Is that correct, and does it apply to the other bases as well? Thanks.

[wadeintothem]

Recall OP.

3) .... If there is OBS, I would signal it and protect the runner between 1B and 2B and probably return the runner to 1B if tagged out at 2B.

Wade, I'd like to confirm my understanding of this. I think what you said means "obstruction on the bag means protection between that base and the next base." Is that correct, and does it apply to the other bases as well? Thanks.

With a few exceptions, a runner cannot be called out between the two bases where she was obstructed.
Secondarily a runner should be awarded the base she would have attained had there been no OBS.

So IF OBS on this play ---

The obs would be between 1B and 2B IMO. The hindrance being that the runner cannot advance beyond her attained base at 1B to 2B due to contact and positioning of F4 without the ball. This is one of the most common OBS calls.

I said it already though, I think this scenario would be debated by very knowledgeable umpires with differing opinions. The OP asked for possible calls... these are my thoughts on a few possible calls.

[Busted Shins]

Thanks. Yes, I recall the caveat about differing opinions. I also recall another, what's that word, oh yeah, rant, about the runner obstructed getting up at 3rd.

Maybe I gave up that thread too soon (but I don't think so), but I never did understand if that runner should have been protected between 3rd and home.