Interference (baseball): Difference between revisions

On October 15, 1969, in Game 4 of the [[1969 World Series]] between the [[New York Mets]] and [[Baltimore Orioles]], Mets [[pinch hitter]] [[J. C. Martin (baseball)|J.C. Martin]] attempted a tenth-inning [[sacrifice bunt]] which Orioles pitcher [[Pete Richert]] fielded; however, Richert's throw to first base hit Martin on the wrist and the ball ricocheted into right field, allowing Mets baserunner [[Rod Gaspar]] to score the winning run from second base. The Orioles protested vehemently, but although replays showed Martin ran inside the first base line, umpires ruled the play valid and no interference was called. The win gave the "Miracle Mets" a 3–1 lead in the series, and they closed out their championship season with a win the next day.

An alleged 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 with no outs. The Red Sox protested, saying that Armbrister interfered, but home plate umpire [[Larry Barnett]] refused to change the call. The rules at the time did not mention a batter-runner/catcher collision, but the official interpretation issued to the umpires did; there is no violation on such unintentional contact.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xsorbit27.com/users5/historicbaseball/index.php?topic=40.0 |title=ArchivedCooperstown copyConfidential -- June 9, 2005 |website=xsorbit27.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927161133/http://xsorbit27.com/users5/historicbaseball/index.php?topic=40.0 |archive-date=27 September 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The Red Sox lost the game, and the series.

''Catcher's interference'' is called when the [[catcher]] physically hinders the batter's opportunity to legallylegal swing at a pitched ball. This usually occurs most often when a catcher [[Squatting position|squats]] too close to home plate, so that the batter's bat toucheshits the catcher's mitt 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 mitt forward a bit. It also more commonly happens to hitters, such as [[Jacoby Ellsbury]], (who holds the record for the most times interfered with by a catcher in both a single season and his career <ref>Topps 2018 NY-13 Team Set</ref><ref>Topps 2017 Series 1, Card Number 197</ref>) who frequently let pitches get deeper and take later swings.,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/05/sports/baseball/jacoby-ellsbury-ties-a-record-for-reaching-base-on-catchers-interference.html |title=Jacoby Ellsbury's Bat: Effective at Finding the Ball, but Also the Glove |last=Witz |first=Billy |date=2016-07-04 |work=The New York Times |access-date=2019-05-26 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> such as [[Jacoby Ellsbury]], who holds the record for the most times interfered with by a catcher in both a single season and his career.<ref>Topps 2018 NY-13 Team Set</ref><ref>Topps 2017 Series 1, Card Number 197</ref>

In this case, play continues, anduntil afterthe continuousplay playingends action ceases,and the umpire will callcalls time. The penalty here is that the batter is awarded first base, any runner attempting to [[stolen base|steal]] is awarded that base, and all other runners advance only if forced. Additionally, the catcher is charged with an [[error (baseball)|error]] and the batter is not charged with an at-bat. 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, or if a run scores even though the play resulted in an out the offense may elect to take the play versus the penalty by appealing to the calling Umpireumpire).

Under high school (NFHS) rules only, catcher's interference is instead called ''catcher's obstruction''.<ref>{{cnCite book |datetitle=February2020 2022NFHS Baseball Rule Book |year=2019 |isbn=978-1582084480 |pages=124}}</ref>

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 (i.e., the ball would have not crossed over the plane of the wall), he will rule the batter out on spectator interference. Also, the spectatorspectators who commitscommit interference isare usually ejected from the stadium. Note that

However, spectators ''are'' allowed to touch and/or catch a ball that is still in play whenonce the ball has broken the plane of the spectators' side of the wall. Spectators may even use a certain level of non-violent force (for example, they may attempt to dislodge a ball out of a defender's glove) provided they do not themselves cross the plane in their efforts. The area where both fielders and spectators are legally allowed to catchtouch the ball is colloquially called ''no man's land''.

<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[File:Jeffmaier.jpg|thumb|Jeffrey Maier's interference, 1996|{{deletable image-caption|1=Wednesday, March 26, 2008}}]] -->*On October 9, 1996, [[Jeffrey Maier]] became well loved in New York but hated in Baltimore over spectator interference that was not called by the umpire. In the eighth inning of Game 1 of the [[1996 American League Championship Series|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. [[Jeffrey 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 ruled the play a home run rather than calling Jeter out on spectator interference or awarding him a double. Garcia later said he believed the ball was uncatchable, but video of the play<ref>{{cite web|title=BB Moments: Fan helps Jeter's HR|url=http://m.mlb.com/video/v3345251/bb-moments-96-alcs-gm-1-fan-helps-jeters-homer|website=MLB.com|publisher=MLB Advanced Media, L.P.|access-date=29 June 2016}}</ref> shows the ball was touched in the field of play, although Garcia may not have been in position to see the interference.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Wade|first1=David|title=Inside the rules: fan interference|url=http://www.hardballtimes.com/inside-the-rules-fan-interference/|website=The Hardball Times|publisher=Hardball Times Inc.|access-date=29 June 2016}}</ref> Maier's interference and Garcia's 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 19, 2010, in the second inning of Game 4 of the [[American League Championship Series]], with no score, Yankees player [[Robinson Canó]] hit a fly to the right field wall. Rangers right fielder [[Nelson Cruz]] backtracked and positioned himself to jump in the air and attempt to catch Cano's fly ball at the wall. Jared Macchirole, a 20-year-old spectator seated in the bleachers, reached out to catch the ball, and in doing so, made contact with the glove of Cruz, ending his upward momentum, and ensuring that Cruz would not catch the ball, that did reach the seats. Right Field [[Umpire]] [[Jim Reynolds]] ruled the play a home run rather than calling for Instant Replay review to determine whether spectator interference had occurred as specified by MLB's new rule regarding [[Instant Replay]]. The potential interference and umpire's call resulted in a solo home run for Cano, and the Yankees taking a 1–0 lead at the time.

*On June 8, 2014, Brian Roberts of the New York Yankees was at bat against the Royals at [[Kauffman Stadium]] in the top of the 4th inning. He hit a ball down the first base line that the first base umpire ruled fair. Thinking it was a foul ball, a ball person in foul territory in right field picked the ball up and gave it to a fan. The play was ruled dead and Brian Roberts was awarded a double. However, the Yankees did not score that inning and they lost the game 2–1.

*On October 17, 2018, during the fourth game of the [[2018 American League Championship Series]], [[Houston Astros]] batter [[JoséJose Altuve]] hit a potential two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning. Although the ball went into the stands despite [[Boston Red Sox]] right fielder [[Mookie Betts]]' leaping attempt to catch it at the wall, Altuve was ruled out due to fan interference, and the call stood after being reviewed on video. Boston ultimately won the game 8-6 and would go on to win both the ALCS and the [[2018 World Series]].

When a fielder hinders a baserunner, the situation is called [[obstruction (baseball)|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 willis usually be ignored; physical contact must result in an advantageous situation for the offense to be considered offensive interference. Nor must physical contact occur for interference to be called; a runner may interfere with a fielder simply by hindering the fielder's ability to attempt to make a play on a batted ball.

"{{quote|If [a] runner has contact with a legally occupied base when he hinders [a fielder who is attempting to make a play on a batted ball], he shall not be called out unless, in the umpire’s judgment, such hindrance, whether it occurs on fair or foul territory, is intentional. If the umpire declares the hindrance intentional, the following penalty shall apply: With less than two out, the umpire shall declare both the runner and batter out. With two out, the umpire shall declare the batter out."}}

(b) intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball. (NOTE: A runner who is adjudged to have hindered a fielder who is attempting to make a play on a batted ball is out whether it was intentional or not.)}}