If a baseball player is standing on first base and the ball is hit at him, he better be ready to duck the line drive or hop over the hard grounder because if he is hit by a fair batted ball, he is likely to be called out. Depending on the situation, there are some exceptions to the rules which protect the runner as long as the umpire rules out an intentional interference.
Runner Interference
In baseball protocol, is the responsibility of the runner to avoid the fielder as well as the ball when running the bases. Even if the ball is hit right at him, the runner has to get out of the way. Rule 7.08 (b) of the Official Rules of Baseball states that when a runner is hit by a fair batted ball and any fielder has a reasonable opportunity to make a play, the runner is declared out for interfering, whether intentional or not. The bases are in fair territory, so this rule includes if the runner is standing on a base and is hit by a fair batted ball. Rule 5.09 (e) adds that if a foul ball hits the runner at first -- that is, the player is standing on first, but the ball hits part of his body in foul territory -- the ball becomes dead and the runner is safe.
Official Scoring
When a runner is called out for interference after being hit by a batted ball with less than two outs, then the batter gets awarded first base. All other runners remain at the base they held at the time of the pitch, unless forced to advance by the batter being awarded first base. Rule 10.05 of the Official Rules of Baseball states that the batter is credited with a base hit, stipulating, "A base hit shall be scored when a fair ball which has not been touched by a fielder touches a runner or an umpire."
Infield Fly Rule
One exception to runner interference which protects the base runner is the Infield Fly Rule. The purpose of the infield fly rule is to prevent a defensive team from purposely dropping or not catching an infield fly with the intention of trying to turn a double play. If the infield fly is called by the umpire, the batter is automatically out and the runners do not advance. According to Rule 7.08 (f), if an infield popup happens to hit the runner standing on first base, the runner is called safe and the batter is still out.
Deflections
Another exception to the rule is when the runner is hit by a batted ball after it deflects off the fielder. The runner is safe and the ball is live. Rule 5.09 (f) states, "If a fair ball touches a runner after being deflected by an infielder, the ball is in play and the umpire shall not declare the runner out for being touched by a batted ball." However, Rule 7.09 (g) allows the umpire to still call interference on the runner if he believes there is any intention in the contact with the ball by the runner to deter the defense from making a play on the ball.
References
- Major League Baseball: Official Baseball Rules
- "The Underground Baseball Encyclopedia: Baseball Stuff You Never Needed to Know and Can Certainly Live Without", Robert Schnakenberg; 2010
- "Baseball Bloopers"; Bill Gutman; 1998
Member Comments