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TOPIC: Baserunner hit by batted ball |
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| Softball247
October 24, 2011
1:00:59 PM
Entry #: 3823316
| This play just happened this past weekend at an ASA tournament to my team. Bases are loaded. 1 out. Batter hits a ball towards the second basemen who is playing behind the baseline. R1 runs in front of the 2B player & is hit by the ball. The 1B player was playing in front of the base line. The runners on third & second both scored during the confusion of the play.
The way the rule reads, the baserunner is out: "...If the baserunner is struck by a batted ball in fair territory before it passes an infielder other than the pitcher." The effect is that the ball is dead, R1 is out, all other runners return to the base last legally touched at the time of the illegal action.
So, here is the question...what is considered an infielder? Should it be a judgement call meaning an infielder who "can possibly make a play on the batted ball", or "any" infielder. If the 1B is playing very shallow & the ball is hit just out of the RH pitcher's glove side, but it can not possibly be fielded by 1B, but is playable by 2B, does the relative position of the 1B player count as being an infielder when considering whether or not the ball passed an infielder? Obviously, the ball passed an infielder because the 1B player was playing shallow, but I don't think the 1B player should have been considered as the infielder in question when applying this rule. Nevertheless,
the ruling on the field was totally blown. The home plate umpire didn't even consider the depth of any of the fielders. She called for a dead ball (after my insistance from the dugout) but then she maintained that the runners ahead of R1 were allowed to advance one base, the batter runner was given 1B. My thought is that since she didn't take the position of the fielders into play & she announced the dead ball, that the batter-runner should have been given first base, R1 should have been out & R2 & R3 should have returned to their bases. I lost the battle. She allowed R2 & R3 to advance, scoring one run.
I know you are an NSA umpire but the rules are the same in this situation.
What are your thoughts on this?
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| EC Mott
October 25, 2011
8:29:36 AM
Entry #: 3824056
| 247 - another "judgement call" for the Umpire. You are absolutely correct that the enforcement of awarded bases was done in error once the runner was declared out. That notwithstanding what compromises "passing an infielder"? Is it a line between any infielder on the diamond closest to the plate (say both 1st and 3rd have "creeped up") or is it a ball that could have been reached by the infielder but was not?
NSA Rule 8, Section 8, (l) is the applicable rule but no definition is given for the phrase "passes an infielder". Loos like you may have just had a call not go your way on that one - sorry.
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| Softball247
October 25, 2011
2:54:39 PM
Entry #: 3824338
| Yeah, I knew we got screwed with the runners being allowed to advance. I really didn't want to push the issue. If we bring the UIC to the field and they consult the rule, they might have determined that R1 did not even deserve to be called out because the ball passed the 1B player.
I guess as umps, we will have to take poetic licensing regarding the "passing of an infielder" to mean "passing an infielder capable of making a play on the ball".
This is something that the NSA Rules committee should consider for inclusion in the 2012 rule book.
Thanks Eric!
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| DonMc
November 1, 2011
6:49:14 PM
Entry #: 3829017
| The rule states "When a baserunner is struck with a fair-batted ball in fair territory while off base and before it passes an infielder, excluding the pitcher".
I would not read too much into that, the ball has to PASS an infielder other than the pitcher, if the ball is not near and infielder it probably won't pass them. If a team play the corners up, they may oaacasionally be on the short end of this rule, but it is very unusual.
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