What call would you make?

[default]

R1 on first. Batter hits grounder which is fielded cleanly and thrown to first (no orange bag at this field). Ball goes in then out of the first basemans glove and rolls across the line into foul territory. First baseman (who, if I recall correctly was on her knees) reaches back into the path of the baserunner (who was no more than 2 steps away from first) into foul territory to retrieve the ball and they collide just in front of first base. The batter/runner reaches over and touches first before anybody gets to the ball. At the time of the collision, R1 is on her way to 3rd and ultimately reaches home.
What call, if any, should be made? I'll tell you the outcome after I hear a few opinions.

 

[default]

safe at first, live ball run counts

 

[default]

Batter is safe ... runner scores

 

[default]

Sounds like incidental contact. Live ball. I hope no one was hurt.

 

[default]

Batter safe... Runner scores, once the first baseman touches the ball in fair territory it is a live ball

 

[default]

Same as above.

 

[default]

Batter safe... Runner scores, once the first baseman touches the ball in fair territory it is a live ball

Thats what I was going to say, and if all else fails just ask for a do over

 

[default]

I have to agree with the other two. runner say at first and live ball. Unfortunately many coaches want a dead ball immediately in that situation. My understanding is that the ball is live until runners can't advance any more or there is a dead period where the ump can call time.

 

[default]

I would imagine the ball would have to roll under a fence or totally off the playing field to be a dead ball. I would say live ball, runner safe, run counts at home.

 

[default]

Live Ball, runner safe at first.

Runner going to third scores, UNLESS the collision at first base (which should be ruled incidental contact) appeared to have resulted in a serious injury to either player which would have required an immediate time out to attend to the seriously injured player(s). In that case, I would return the runner to third base.

 

[default]

Here's what happened - umpire called batter out at first due to runner interference and sent R1 back to second base. The ball did not roll out of play and everybody, except the umpire, thought the same way the posters on her do. Unfortunately, I was told that the first baseman received a broken nose (which tells how low to the ground she was at the time) but I do believe she returned to the game later on. If she or a teammate is reading this - you played a great game and I hope you're doing o.k. This was an 11 inning game that ended with a score of 3-2 and this call was a potentially game changing call. There were some upset people because this is a school that has the reputation of having a distinct home field advantage. Other than the behavior of a couple of their players (players cursing at the visitors players) in the line after the game, and their parents (who drove a player through the parking lot so they could flip the bird at some visiting players), it was a great game. It was a hard fought game by both teams and both teams deserved to win. It's just too bad they couldn't be gracious winners.

 

[default]

If your description of the play was accurate, the umpire's call was absolutely horrible. After touching the ball in fair territory, she is no longer entitled to the right to field the ball, especially when crossing the foul line in front of a runner.

By the final outcome, you are also saying that the other umpire did not over rule this call. I've seen some blown calls, but this one ranks up there at the top.

 

[default]

After the 1st baseman dropped the throw, is retrieving it still fielding the ball?

Pretty horrible winners I would say though!! > Was this a school ball game? How do the parents and coaches allow their dd's to behave so poorly? Although as you say the kids are just mirroring their parents behavior! Shameful!! :-[

 

[default]

I can't imagine calling the runner out on this play, unless she made some intentional move to interfere with the fielder (went out her way to initate the contact, threw and elbow at the fielder or swatted the ball out of her glove). As long as she was running in a legal manner, and the fielder moved into her path such that the contact was unavoidable, the ball would remain live, the batter-runner would be safe at first and R1 would score.

If anything, this would be obstruction by the defense. A fielder without possession of the ball impeded the progress of the runner. A fielder is only protected from contact by a runner when she is in the act of fielding a batted ball, not trying to retrieve a thrown ball she has already muffed.

If everything went exactly as described, this was an absolutely terrible call.

 

[default]

GWOC...
There was only one umpire in this game (makes it easier to get the home field advantage in my opinion) and my description is accurate to the best of my recollection - I happened to be standing at the fence pretty much right at first base when this happened. I saw the ball go in/out of her glove and the baserunner was fairly quick so you can imagine how close she was to first by the time the throw got there from the left side of the field - I don't recall who fielded the ball. I talked to another umpire who witnessed the play and they said what you just said...that once she touched the ball in fair territory, she loses her right to field the ball. I understand that the defender has the right to the ball to make the play, but once it left her glove and rolled, her "right"/opportunity was over.

 

[default]

Sad...Yes, this was a school team and it does appear that they learned their behavior from the parents. I'm not going to mention the school as I've been told that their coaches have been made aware of the problem and are handling it.

Bret...The runner did not make any move to interfere with the defender. She ran straight to the base.

 

[default]

Well, hopefully it was a non-league double header that won't have any long standing affect on your team.

Just remember:

"No one is so worthless that they cannot at least be used as a poor example"

It is unfortunate, but all of us will be exposed to poor sportsmanship and incompetent people throughout our lives.

Don't ever stoop to the level of poor sportsmanship and work every day to improve your skills.

Maybe that umpire learned something and will learn some more about the rules....
(yeah, I know..... I'm still not sure about the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny either)

 

[default]

I was at the game saturday. The girl whose nose got broke is the second baseman. As she rotated over to cover first, she received the throw, and the ball did pop out. It did NOT roll into foul territory, it just dropped to the ground. The collision occured as she was reaching for the ball down the first base line, in FAIR territory, The runner was NOT in the running lane and did not AVOID contact. Even though there was NOT a double base, the runner still has the RESPONSIBILITY of running in the lane, and if she had avoided contact, like she is supposed to do, she would have been ruled SAFE.

On a side note, the issue at the game was not the umpire, or the athletes. The PARENTS of the visiting team were the issue. From the first pitch, it was so bad that the kids were asking the parents to shut up!

This was a great game, by two very good teams. The girls fought it out for 11-12 innings. Lets not try to degrade the players or officials. This play CRM is harping about what happened in the first inning. Lets remember the girls are playing and that the parents need to let them just play the game and have some fun.

Its a shame that the umpire had to have an escort to her car because of all the verbal nastiness spewed by the visiting fans. The home team first base coach was even uneasy just going to the coaches box during the game.

 

[default]

I would submit that, after dropping the throw, the running lane is irrelevent on this play. The rule states that it is interference if the runner (quote) "interferes with the fielder taking the throw" (unquote). ?The fielder had her unimpeded shot at receiving the throw and apparently muffed it. A ball rolling around on the ground does not fit the definition of "receiving a throw".

Further, since the running lane is in foul ground and ends at the base, when the double safety base is not in use there is some allowance for the batter-runner to exit the lane as she touches first. Otherwise, she could never touch the bag!

Also irrelevent is if the muffed throw was on the ground in fair or foul territory. Neither offers any special protection or penalty.

From the descriptions given, the fielder had her unimpeded opportunity to receive the initial throw, missed it, then reached into the path of the batter-runner. While a runner can be out for running into a fielder whom she was able to avoid, the fielder generally loses that protection if she suddenly moves into the path of an otherwise legally advancing runner.

While the collision and injury are unfortunate, sometimes those things just happen. Just going by what has been described- and, admittedly, these bang-bang plays are "had to be there" in nature- I have no reason to say the runner did anything illegal.

If anything, the more likely call would have been obstruction, as the batter-runner was running in a legal manner, did nothing to intentionally cause the contact and was hindered by a defensive player not in possession of the ball, not in the act of receiving a throw and not in the act of fielding a batted ball.

 

[default]

I agree that a couple of the visiting parents were too vocal, but NONE of their comments were directed at players and other parents and even the coaches told them to knock it off.
The baserunner was in the base line, she was not running inside the base line, which according to you she would have to of been doing at the time of contact. Yes, she has the obligation to avoid the contact if the defender was making an initial play on the ball, but she wasn't. She was retreiving a dropped ball. The contact was unavoidable and the batter should not have been punished.

It's funny, I've even had a couple private messages from some folks from the home team that agree that it was a blown call and the batter/runner should have been safe.

It sounds to me like you are trying to condone the behavior of a couple of your players and parents and that just goes to prove my point. I'm sure that the vast majority of players and parents are great people, however, it only takes a couple to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Your team should be proud of their win - it was a great win - there's no doubt about it. But a couple players/parents should be ashamed of their post-game behavior.

I never made one comment to degrade a PLAYERs ability or actions during the game. I have said several times that it was a great game and it's too bad that somebody had to come up short on the scoreboard (I'm not using the term "lose" because both teams were winners on the field). The only comment that I have made about players is that there are a couple who should be ashamed of their behavior and I will stand by that. If I found out my kid did something like that to an opponent, their butt would ride the pine until further notice at my request.

I find it ironic that the umpire felt she needed an escort. Yes, there were fans yelling out their displeasure with some of her calls (expecially after the huge blown call in the first inning) - show me one game where that does not happen. But NOBODY said anything even remotely resembling a threat to her and to insinuate that she was threatened is getting a bit carried away.