quote:Originally posted by RPD:
"Any runner is out when . (b) He intentionally interferes with a thrown ball..."
[Couldn't be that part, since he didn't intentionally interfere with it]
But it is that part.
Look, we're just keeping score here. The umpire gets to decide what is or isn't intentional. As I said in my first post, apparently the PU judged the batter's action to be intentional. There is no other way for the batter runner to interfere in this situation.
Could the umpire be right? Sure. The umpire can reasonably believe that the batter knew that R2 was running --the defensive dugout is yelling "runner!", and R2's path is in the batter/runner's field of vision. Whether he is in the batter's box isn't relevant. So the umpire has to decide if reeling backwards and the toss of the bat toward the dugout is innocent, or an attempt to slow down a throw. Conversely he has to decide if the catcher is trying to buy an interference call.
The umpire seems to have decided it was intentional. Even if he actually kicked the rule and the call, as a scorekeeper you still have to record what he called.