Catcher Throwing Back to Pitcher

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This weekend our catcher, also my DD, caught the 4th ball from our pitcher. As she was throwing the ball back to her pitcher, the batter now runner steps in front of the plate on her way to first and the ball hits her helmet and bounces towards the first base dugout. No one seems to know what to do and the runner scores from third. We lose this game by a run. I asked a couple people I know who are certified umpires and they both said there is no call and basically an error on the catcher? I have been doing this for some time and I would have thought something weird like this would be called interference or dead ball or something other than knock the ball away and score runs? Just wondering if I am that out of touch!
 

Captain_Thunder

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It was a live ball. Catcher throwing the ball at the player is on her....
 
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BretMan2

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Knock the ball away and score runs?

Did this batter-runner purposely knock the ball away? If so, then that would be interference.

Otherwise, a batter-runner has a perfect right to advance to first base. If that’s all she was doing, then it’s up to the catcher to recognize that and not throw the ball into her. If the throw accidentally hits the batter-runner that’s the catcher’s fault, not the runner’s.
 

Lasersteal06

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Your dd is a beast. And now she is a beast that knows something she didn’t know before. Nbd. We still love her.
 

Captain_Thunder

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I heard that the Catcher's dad is supposed to be removed from the park if this happens! Hehehehehe
 

daboss

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Bretman2 got it. The fact she got hit in the helmet would suggest to me she wasn't trying to do this purposely. Keep in mind the ball is live as the now runner could in theory continue to advance bases past 1st if she chooses not to stop. We've all seen that. The catcher could have thrown to 3rd on the 4th ball call to pick off that runner. I point these few things out to remind you how things could have transpired as proof you knew the ball was still live and would have argued differently if your team were on the offense instead of defense.

We forget. It's okay. It's hard to remember all this stuff----especially the things that don't happen often.
 
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I have not forgotten anything but I guess I am looking at it as a runner interfering with a normal play regardless of intent. If the runner is watching a ground ball to make sure it doesn't hit her and runs over the fielder unintentionally, does that make her not out? I did not realize interference calls were based on intent. I also though that a runner advancing to first and in fair territory and hit hit by the thrown ball to 1B was out? These scenarios are what lead me to believe that a runner deflecting a thrown live ball, unintentionally or not, should not result in a team scoring or even advancing other runners.

If this is the case, I guess my catcher has learned something as a catcher AND as a batter, especially if she walks with a runner on third! It is all a learning process, And Cap'n, I'll NEVER get thrown out of a game ;), while I may disagree with umpires I don't disrespect them. I deal with idiots on a daily basis that get paid loads more than Blue does and 99 out of 100 of them are there because they love the game and do their best to call it...now watch me get thrown this weekend! LOL
 

BretMan2

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1) Interference with a thrown ball must be intentional. Yeah, some forms of interference don’t require intent, but this one does.

2) A batter-runner advancing to first base can be called out for being in fair ground and hit by a throw, if they are outside of the three-foot running lane.

But the three-foot running lane doesn’t start until half way up the line, 30 feet from home plate, so it wouldn’t apply here.

You’re 0 for 2 on rule based reasons for thinking this should be interference.
 
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I never said I thought it was interference...since there is not a rule specific to this situation I was applying the situation to other similar situations. The reason for posting on here was to obtain information so I know better, not to go 2 for 2 or anything else.

There was a time before when I was under the impression that a runner hit by a batted ball while in fair territory was out but in some cases they are not. Same thing here, based on other rules, I believed that it would be against the rules to step in front of a catcher as she was throwing the ball back to the pitcher, deflecting the ball and as a result a run scoring. Prior to today I would question it whether my daughter was the catcher or the runner. and prior to today, I would not have sent my runner home simply because I did not know better.

Thanks to everyone for enlightening me. Although I went 0-2, I know much better and maybe I should criticize my daughter a little less for walking, especially next time with a runner on 3rd!
 

wilsey73

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Not true
 
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