Interference (baseball)
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In baseball, interference is an infraction where a person illegally changes the course of play from what is expected. Interference might be committed by players on the offense, players not currently in the game, catchers, umpires, or spectators; each type of interference is covered differently by the rules.
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[edit] Offensive interference
The most common incidence of interference is when a member of the offensive team physically hinders the defensive team, decreasing their chances to make an out or increasing the chance that a baserunner will advance. Whenever this offensive interference occurs, the ball becomes dead. If the interference was committed by a batter or a baserunner, that player is called out and all other runners must return to the bases they occupied at the time of the interference. If interference is committed by a runner with the possible intent of preventing a double play, the batter-runner will be called out in addition to the runner who committed the interference. If interference is committed by the batter-runner before he reaches first base with the possible intent of preventing a double play, the runner closest to scoring is called out in addition to the batter-runner. If interference is committed by a retired runner or by some other member of the offensive team, the runner who is most likely to have been put out will be called out.
Under high school (NFHS) and college (NCAA) rules, if interference is committed by a runner with the effect of preventing a likely double play, regardless of his intent, the batter-runner will be called out in addition to the runner who committed the interference. Also under NFHS rules only, all runners are required to attempt to avoid collisions; if a runner fails to do so, he is guilty of malicious contact, which is one kind of offensive interference. Malicious contact carries the additional penalty of ejection from the game.
In addition to the general subjective definition of offensive interference, it is also interference by specific rule when:
- The bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory, such as while the bat is being dropped;
- A batter or runner intentionally deflects the course of a batted ball in any manner;
- A member of the offensive team stands near a base to impersonate a baserunner or to otherwise confuse or hinder the defense;
- A coach physically assists a runner in returning to or leaving first or third base;
- A batter is struck by a ball thrown from the home plate area while running to first base with a foot entirely outside the three-foot running lane, before the batter reaches first base;
- A runner makes contact with a batted ball that did not go through or by a fielder, unless no infielder had a chance to immediately field the ball (in this instance, the runner is out and the batter is credited with a base hit);
- A runner makes contact with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball, except the batter with the catcher in the immediate vicinity of home plate immediately after the ball was batted; or
- A member of the offensive team intentionally touches a thrown ball, or intentionally hinders a fielder attempting to make a throw.
There are some exceptions to the penalty for offensive interference.
- If there are fewer than two outs and a runner is trying to score, and the batter interferes with the tag attempt at home plate, then the runner is out for the batter's interference, while the batter is not out. If there are two outs in this situation, the normal interference penalty applies: the batter is out and the run does not score.
- The major exception is when a runner is attempting to score and the catcher has control of the ball; if the catcher is in the path between third base and home plate, the baserunner may strike the catcher with his body in an attempt to dislodge the ball from the catcher's hand. This is usually only attempted when the play is close; when the catcher is set up and ready, the runner has little chance of knocking the ball away and a significant chance of injuring himself.
[edit] Cases
On Tuesday, October 19, 2004, in game six of the 2004 American League Championship Series, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees intentionally swatted the arm of Boston Red Sox pitcher Bronson Arroyo, who was attempting to tag Rodríguez out. The ball came loose, initially enabling Rodríguez to advance and the previous runner Derek Jeter to score, but instead Rodríguez was ruled out on the interference, under the general definition of the rule above. The Red Sox went on to win the game and the series.
A famous uncalled instance of offensive interference occurred in the third game of the 1975 World Series. With a runner on first, Cincinnati Reds player Ed Armbrister laid down a sacrifice bunt. Red Sox Catcher Carlton Fisk attempted to field the ball and throw to second base and get the lead runner out. However, Armbrister did not immediately run to first base but instead stood essentially still in the vicinity of home plate, forcing Fisk to jump into him in order to make the throw. As a result, Fisk's throw went into center field, and the Reds ended up with runners on first and third and none out. The Red Sox protested, saying that Armbrister interefered, but home plate umpire Larry Barnett refused to change the call. As a result, the Red Sox lost the game, and ultimately lost the series in seven games, arguably in part due to the Armbrister play. Barnett allegedly received death threats from embittered Red Sox fans for months after the Series had concluded.
[edit] Umpire's interference
It is umpire's interference when the umpire hinders a catcher's attempt to throw anywhere. In this case, if the catcher's direct throw retires a runner the play stands, if not, the ball is dead and all runners must return to their time of throw bases.
It is also umpire's interference when an umpire is struck by a fair batted ball before it touches or passes an infielder other than the pitcher. This can occur because umpires often position themselves inside the diamond. In this case, the ball is dead, the batter-runner is awarded first base, and all other runners advance only if forced.
[edit] Catcher's interference
Catcher's interference is called when the catcher physically hinders the batter's opportunity to legally swing at a pitched ball. This occurs most often when a catcher squats too close to home plate, so that the batter's bat touches the catcher's glove as the batter swings. This is most likely to happen on attempted steals where the catcher is anxious to catch the ball as soon as possible and may move his entire body or glove forward a bit.
In this case, play continues, and after continuous playing action ceases, the umpire will call time. The penalty here is that the batter is awarded first base, any runner attempting to steal is awarded that base, and all other runners advance only if forced. Additionally, the catcher is charged with an error. However, if the actual playing result is more advantageous than the penalty, the offense may elect to ignore the infraction (e.g., if the batter-runner reaches first safely and all other runners advance at least one base, catcher's interference is ignored by rule).
Under high school (NFHS) rules only, catcher's interference is instead called catcher's obstruction.
For statistical purposes, reaching base via catcher’s interference is considered an official plate appearance (i.e., in determining eligibility for the batting title), but it is ignored in calculating a player’s on-base percentage.
[edit] Spectator interference
When a spectator or other person not associated with one of the teams alters play in progress, it is spectator interference. The ball becomes dead, and the umpire will award any bases or charge any outs that, in his judgment, would have occurred without the interference.
Such interference often occurs when a spectator in the first row of seats reaches onto the field to attempt to grab a fair or foul fly ball. If the umpire judges that the fielder could have caught the ball over the field, he will rule the batter out on spectator interference. Also, the spectator who commits interference is usually ejected from the stadium. Note that spectators are allowed to catch a ball that is in play when the ball is on the spectator' side of the wall, even if in doing so they interfere with a player who is also trying to catch the ball.
Umpires typically clasp their hands together over their head as a signal when spectator interference occurs.
[edit] Cases of possible spectator interference
On October 9, 1996, Jeffrey Maier became well-loved in New York but hated in Baltimore over an obvious spectator interference that was not called by the umpire. In the eighth inning of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series, with the Yankees trailing 4-3, Derek Jeter, the Yankee shortstop, hit a fly to the right field wall. Oriole right fielder Tony Tarasco backtracked and positioned himself to catch Jeter's fly ball just short of the wall. Maier, a 12-year-old spectator seated in the bleachers, reached out to catch the ball, and deflected it away from Tarasco and over the fence. Umpire Rich Garcia incorrectly ruled the play a home run when the proper call would have been to call Jeter out on spectator interference. Maier's interference and Garcia's missed call resulted in a game-tying home run for Jeter. The Yankees won the game in extra innings and prevailed in the series in five games.
On October 14, 2003, Cubs fan Steve Bartman was vilified for his role in preventing Chicago Cubs fielder Moises Alou from catching a foul fly ball in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. In the eighth inning, with one out, one man on base, and with Chicago holding a 3-0 lead, five outs away from their first World Series in 58 years, Florida Marlins second baseman Luis Castillo popped up a foul into the seats along the third-base line. Several spectators stood to catch the ball, including Bartman, who deflected the ball from Alou, who had jumped in an effort to catch the ball. This was not a case of spectator interference, because the fly ball was not over the field, but over the seats, and the would-be out was properly ruled a foul ball. Bartman later stated that he was caught up in the excitement of the moment and didn't even think that the ball might be catchable by Alou. Subsequently, Castillo reached first base on a walk, and the Marlins proceeded to score eight runs in the inning to win the game; they went on to win the series.
[edit] Weak interference
Several situations arise in baseball that are considered, by logical extension of the rules, as weak interference. These well-defined incidents are not severe enough to be considered offensive interference. When weak interference occurs, the ball is usually called dead, but no further penalty is assessed against a baserunner or batter.
Weak interference is called when:
- A catcher touches the batter or his bat before a pitch
- A foreign object or animal flies between home plate and the pitcher before or during a pitch
- A non-participant or member of the offensive team grasps a live ball, but no play is affected and no runners attempt to advance
- The pitcher stops his pitching motion because the batter induced him to do so, such as by asking for time.
[edit] Cases
On March 24, 2001 during the 7th inning of a pre-season game against the San Francisco Giants, Randy Johnson of the Arizona Diamondbacks threw a fastball that struck and killed a dove that was flying between him and the batter. The bird flew over catcher Rod Barajas's head and landed amid a "sea of feathers". The ball was called dead, (as was the bird) and the incident was ruled "no pitch". The Diamondbacks went on to win 10-5 without further incident.
[edit] Common misconceptions
When a fielder hinders a baserunner, the situation is called obstruction, not interference. Baseball commentators will often mistakenly refer to obstruction as interference.
Not all physical contact in baseball is interference. Accidental contact that has little or no effect on play will usually be ignored; physical contact must result in an advantageous situation for the offense to be considered offensive interference.
A base does not provide a runner immunity from an offensive interference call; a runner is required to avoid a batted ball or a fielder going after a batted ball, even if it means vacating a base where he wishes to remain. The only exception is that a runner is not held liable if an infield fly touches him as he tries to avoid it yet remain on a base.
For the most part, intent to interfere is not necessary for interference to be called; however, a runner cannot be called for interference with a throw or a fielder making a throw unless such a hindrance was indeed intentional.
