An acquaintance turned to me last night and asked (after a runner was ruled safe): “Why didn’t the guy just throw the ball really hard and hit him in the [testes]?”
I couldn’t come up with a good answer other than, that must be against the rules (probably also criminal battery).
But I checked the rules quickly and lazily, and am not finding the one that prohibits it.
Am I missing it?
Rule 9.01d:
Each umpire has authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for **unsportsmanlike conduct **or language, and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field. If an umpire disqualifies a player while a play is in progress, the disqualification shall not take effect until no further action is possible in that play.
You’re looking at the wrong part of the rule book.
Rule 7.04
That’s apparently for stealing, I imagine interfering with a runner in another may fall under “obstruction” in rule 7.06.
I’m not sure why the catcher interfering with the batter (7.04d) would be relevant to what’s going on with another baserunner, or with this discussion. (I guess 7.04d is there to cover a runner on 3rd with a squeeze play on.)
But other than that, WF Tomba has it covered. You don’t needlessly throw the baseball around.
Got it.
His objective was not to score an out, but pretty much just to clock the baserunner in the groin because he was P.O.'d at the team at bat, and he wanted to know what rule prohibited the consummation of this desire that he so devoutly wished for.
Of course the runners’ teammates would retaliate, probably immediately and en masse.
Oh, I think he’d have been okay with a sore-loser-melee at that point.
As someone who played the game above the high school level, I bolded this one because it’s the REAL BIG answer.
If someone did that he wouldn’t be playing in the Majors for a long time, let alone the next half inning.
As others have already said, that’s just not the way the game is played.
It could certainly, by the umpire’s discretion, be ruled as interference.
It is not illegal to throw at a runner. However, as Reggie Jackson once demonstrated by willingly taking a throw in the chest to break up a double play, hitting a runner with the ball can have dire consequences for the defensive team as they have to go recover the ball while other runners continue to circle the bags.
Moving to The Game Room.
Colibri
General Questions Moderator
Wow. How the hell does a pitcher miss by “a few rows”?
Fog of war?
Ok, that was funny.