Interference on Batter?

[playball13]

R1 on 1B, no outs.
Batter fakes bunt pulls back and hits F2 glove causing F2 to miss ball allowing R1 to go to 2B.
Is this Interference on batter even though there was out to be made until after the interference?
If Batter hits F2 glove then makes an attempt to hit the ball would that be Catchers Interference/Obstruction or whatever you would call it?

[MTR]

R1 on 1B, no outs.
Batter fakes bunt pulls back and hits F2 glove causing F2 to miss ball allowing R1 to go to 2B.
Is this Interference on batter even though there was out to be made until after the interference?

Not unless it was exaggerated with the umpire believes it was the batter's intention to hit the catcher.

If Batter hits F2 glove then makes an attempt to hit the ball would that be Catchers Interference/Obstruction or whatever you would call it?

It could be obstruction if the umpire believed the catcher prevented the batter from hitting the ball.

[Softbald Dad]

You have dead ball as soon as the batter pulled back and hit the catcher. Batter is out and runner must return to 1st base.

You can only have catchers interference on an attempted batted ball. Since the act of hitting is a forward motion and the batter in this case clearly wasn't trying to hit the ball, the call is simple, "Dead ball - Batter Interference".

[Comp]

You have dead ball as soon as the batter pulled back and hit the catcher. Batter is out and runner must return to 1st base.

You can only have catchers interference on an attempted batted ball. Since the act of hitting is a forward motion and the batter in this case clearly wasn't trying to hit the ball, the call is simple, "Dead ball - Batter Interference".

So you are saying a batter has no right to withdraw a fake bunt and swing at the ball? Just because a batter has pulled the bat back does not mean they have given up their right to hit the pitch. As already stated, if in the umpires judgement the catcher prevented the batter from hitting the ball, it is catchers obstruction. This could include making contact with the catcher while withdrawing the bat.

[MTR]

You have dead ball as soon as the batter pulled back and hit the catcher. Batter is out and runner must return to 1st base.

You can only have catchers interference on an attempted batted ball. Since the act of hitting is a forward motion and the batter in this case clearly wasn't trying to hit the ball, the call is simple, "Dead ball - Batter Interference".

Wow! More than a week to think about it after the correct answer was provided and still got it wrong!

[broadband]

You have dead ball as soon as the batter pulled back and hit the catcher. Batter is out and runner must return to 1st base.

You can only have catchers interference on an attempted batted ball. Since the act of hitting is a forward motion and the batter in this case clearly wasn't trying to hit the ball, the call is simple, "Dead ball - Batter Interference".

Wow! More than a week to think about it after the correct answer was provided and still got it wrong!

Ouch!

[softballfan33]

Along those lines, what would be the call in this situation...

Batter takes full swing at a pitch and misses. R1 on first and stealing second. Batter then pulls bat back in swinging motion and hits catcher in chest protector while she is trying to throw out R1.

Happened to DD twice a couple of weeks ago. As a side note, she has been catching for 5 years and this has never happened in all that time. She doesn't crowd the batter or anything crazy. It was her normal pop and as she threw, the batter pulled back and hit her in the chest protector. Interestingly enough both occurances were in the same game and she had thrown out 2 runners in previous innings. I was curious if this is something that should have been called. It also didn't affect the game - we won 9-0, so no sour grapes from our way (and DD wasn't hurt or my opinion might be different ).

[ajaywill]

Along those lines, what would be the call in this situation...

Batter takes full swing at a pitch and misses. R1 on first and stealing second. Batter then pulls bat back in swinging motion and hits catcher in chest protector while she is trying to throw out R1.

Happened to DD twice a couple of weeks ago. As a side note, she has been catching for 5 years and this has never happened in all that time. She doesn't crowd the batter or anything crazy. It was her normal pop and as she threw, the batter pulled back and hit her in the chest protector. Interestingly enough both occurances were in the same game and she had thrown out 2 runners in previous innings. I was curious if this is something that should have been called. It also didn't affect the game - we won 9-0, so no sour grapes from our way (and DD wasn't hurt or my opinion might be different ).

Sounds like interference on the batter to me.....

[viperump]

One way to look at this play is to understand:
1. The area over home plate belongs to the batter trying to hit a pitch as the pitch is arriving.
2. After the batter has had his/her opportunity to hit the ball and does not do so, now that area over the plate belongs to the catcher to make a play on any runners.

The only exception to this is if either the batter or catcher does something intentional that changes the scenario.

For example, the batter has noticed the catcher is close so "in the umpire's judgment", intentionally reaches back with the bat as the pitch arrives in order to initiate contact with the catcher's glove and get a catcher's obstruction call.

An example for the catcher: she sees R2 stealing 3b as the batter does not swing at the pitch and so, in the umpire's judgement, intentionally moves directly into the batter (still in the batter's box) as she throws the ball toward 3b, trying to get an interference call.

I agree with those who state the batter may fake a bunt and then swing at the pitch, as long as the pitch has not yet completely crossed the plate.

One other item: please remember in softball...the offense commits interference, the defense commits obstruction. There is no such thing as "catcher's interference" in softball.

[MTR]

One way to look at this play is to understand:
1. The area over home plate belongs to the batter trying to hit a pitch as the pitch is arriving.
2. After the batter has had his/her opportunity to hit the ball and does not do so, now that area over the plate belongs to the catcher to make a play on any runners.

I agree with those who state the batter may fake a bunt and then swing at the pitch, as long as the pitch has not yet completely crossed the plate.

I understand what you are saying, and agree with the questionable scenarios. However, I would not use the relationships to the plate as it is irrelevant to any of the rules and not an accurate guideline.