R3 is stealing home. Catcher jumps out in front of the plate to receive the pitch from the pitcher and make a tag. Hitter swings and makes contact with catcher.

What is the call?

That would be Catcher Interference or Catchers Obstruction in FED, award the batter 1st base on the interference, charge the pitcher with a balk and award the runner home.

Seek medical attention for the catcher.

jjk nailed it.

Absolutely JJk nailed it...

Catchers obstruction all the way..........


and just for those who might want to know why......

The batter has a right to an uninterupted opportunity to hit the pitch......

Jumping in front of the batter to take the pitch obstructs the batter from his opportunity.

Has the catcher awakened yet?

Why the balk call? Is that standard on Catchers Int.?

And someone please punch the hitter for swinging.

quote:

Originally posted by ironhorse:
Why the balk call? Is that standard on Catchers Int.?

And someone please punch the hitter for swinging.

The catcher's balk exists in OBR & NCAA, but not FED. In this example, the runner is awarded home because he was stealing on the pitch. In FED, other runners do not move up unless they were stealing or were forced by the B/R being awarded 1st (all runners move up in OBR & NCAA).

I don't blame the batter for swinging at the pitch. He's entitled to hit it, and the offense can opt to take the result of the play rather than the penalty if the ball is put in play.

So if a runner is stealing and catchers int. occurs he gets the base in fed rules? Nice. I didn't know that.

And I'd be ****ed at the hitter for swinging because someone was stealing home. I like my kids to leave with all their teeth.

Well we got called for batter interference. This happened in the bottom of the last inning in a tied game. We were stealing home for the win. Luckily we scored in the 8th to win, but it sure got heated for a while.

TR....Our kid at the plate was nicer than he had to be, but the hit was hard enough to make the catcher want to get up fighting.

ironhorse.....we move back in the box and swing high above the pitch in order to keep the catcher back and slide in underneath the swing.

A blown call to send the game into extras. That's 2 mistakes in one call! (From an umpire's viewpoint, that is.)

Ouch, this one was a mess even if the batter hadn't swung the bat hitting the catcher. Catcher came into fair terroritory to catch the pitch...doesn't a pitch (thrown from the rubber)have to be caught in foul terroritory? Even if the batter doesn't swing don't we have a balk and the runner scores? I think that's what jjk was saying if I understand the rules correctly.

quote:

Originally posted by S. Abrams:
fair terroritory to catch the pitch...doesn't a pitch (thrown from the rubber)have to be caught in foul terroritory? Even if the batter doesn't swing don't we have a balk and the runner scores?

Not in FED. The runner scores because he was stealing on the pitch. The batter gets 1st on the CI. The balk (for catching the pitch in front of the plate) is in NCAA and OBR. It is also INT - batter gets 1st.

Dash,
Interesting...now let's assume FED; same situation plays itself out except the batter does not swing the bat and the catcher makes the tag on R3 for an out. Is the runner out and no CI because the hitter never attempted a swing; batter still at bat?

If the catcher steps across the plate to catch a pitch, it is obstruction whether or not the batter swings. No swing? The ball is dead, award the batter 1st base on the OBS and score the run (because the runner from 3rd was stealing on the pitch). If the batter swings and puts the ball in play, the offense may elect to take the result of the play rather than the penalty. If the batter reaches 1st and all other runners advance at least one base, the infraction is ignored and the ball stays live.

So it's purely an obstruction call and no balk so the hitter also goes to 1st is what I understand. Never knew the penalties...just that the catcher had to catch a pitch in foul territory. Can't imagine a catcher stepping in front of a hitter but I'm sure it happens.

Kinda strange application when compared to batters interference on attempted steals of 3rd base. Rarely called even when the catcher finally does get off the throw after avoiding the dancing hitter.

I want to make sure I am reading and understanding this correctly. If the batter does not swing but the catcher catches the ball before it crosses the plate we have catchers obstruction? Where does the balk come in? I may be way off and I may not be reading this right.

The balk is in OBR and NCAA, not FED. In all codes, batter is awarded 1st. In OBR & NCAA, other runners move up one, but in FED they move up only if they were stealing on the pitch or were forced by the batter's award.