Catchers interference

quote:

Originally posted by bballforever:
If the catcher is ruled for interference, is it considered an error? If that runner later scores or a runner already on base advances and later scores, is it an earned run?

Here’s a quote from OBR, rule 10.16.

In an inning in which a batter-runner reaches first base on a catcher’s interference, such batter-runner shall not count as an earned run should he subsequently score.

Thanks for the rule. What about a kid who was already on base by a hit or walk and then advances because of the batter being awarded first?

quote:

Originally posted by bballforever:
Thanks for the rule. What about a kid who was already on base by a hit or walk and then advances because of the batter being awarded first?

Yes it is an error on the catcher.

Most of the time, errors occur due to batted balls. A batter that reaches by error and scores is not earned and if the error occurs with 2 outs, no runs are earned after the error is committed. If less than 2 outs the scorekeeper has to reconstruct the inning without the error and decide if any runs would have scored to determine earned runs.

Catcher interference is a different situation. One cannot assume an out would have been made if the at bat had been completed. So any runner that reaches because of CI and scores is unearned, but any other runners that were already on base or get on base and score without an error would be earned. OBR 10.16a covers this situation with examples.

OK Heat is correct on this one.

Earned runs are weird in that you basically skip the batter who reached on CI.

All advances on interference are scored as errors.

I believe the box score from the Red Sox and Cubs from yesterday has Jacoby Ellsbury reaching on CI with an error charged to the catcher, as an example.

In the Red Sox / Cubs series, a second CI just happened. Castillo just did it again.

You rarely see this at the MLB level...