Rule Question?

[ech92]

This happened in a game last night and the out come of the play just seems wrong to me .
Here is the situation; 1 out , runner on 3rd base , ball is pitched really inside on the batter , catcher misses it , it bounces off the back stop , catchers turns to go get it but it ends up stopped by the batters foot , batter proceeds to big ball up & hands it to the catcher returning towards the plate . Ok , I know its still a live ball so at least in my mind someone is out , but ump says batter is out & the runner closest to home is out! Is that really the rule? How can this be a double play? In my opinion ( which obviously doesn't matter , lol ) is that it should be a dead ball and batter be out!

 

[Simpsoj]

Fir interference with a live ball I think the runner at 3rd is out....dead ball for the batter but not out. I would defer to Bretman for HS ruling.

 

[BretMan2]

Two outs? This might not even be one out!

Potentially, this could be batter interference, where the batter is out and the runner is returned to third base. But that is only if the batter handling the ball prevented the catcher from making a play on the runner. If the runner wasn't advancing or trying to score, then no play was available and you can't have interference.

If the umpire judges that there was a play and the batter hindered the catcher from making it, then you have batter interference.

The only possible way you could have two outs on this play would if: 1) This had been strike three and the batter was out, and; 2) Then the retired batter interfered with a play on the runner, who would then also be out.

 

[ech92]

Thank you for clarifying that for me. Whats funny is I was sitting behind the back stop and I got to ask the ump if he could explain that to me ( I know he didn't have to even talk to me if he chose not to but he was nice enough to explain what he thought was the rule ) I told him I don't believe thats the rule and said " maybe should look it up for yourself " . Oh well it's over now , didn't cost our team the game or anything .