My Own Bad News Blues
Yep, it’s official, our baseball team is pretty bad. I wish I could say it nicer than that, but I can’t right now. We’re playing pretty bad. Hitting is absolutely horrible. Fielding is someone between non-existent at times to marginal at others. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so bad as a coach. It certainly didn’t help that I’d lost my voice a couple of days ago due to my annual Beginning of the Year Sinus Crud. But honestly, I truly felt what Buttermaker must have felt when he first started coaching the Bears. Of course, the rest of the roles don’t line up. I’m not an alcoholic ex-pro ballplayer and none of my players have foul mouths (at least that I am aware of). I will say a few of them have struggled with their attitudes, but nothing like the movie. The real point is we’ve got some serious work to do to get them playing better baseball.
It was only fitting, in Bears (our team is The Blues) tradition, that I would have a run-in with one of opposing team coaches today. So here’s how it went down (or at least the way I saw it): The other team had a runner on first, Grayson was playing first base. A ground ball was hit nearly straight at Grayson, but before he could even field it, the runner on first ran into Grayson, which prevented him from fielding the ball and both runners ended up being safe. I stared in dis-belief as Becky asked from behind the fence, “he can’t just run into Grayson like that, can he?” So, since we don’t have umpires in this league, I asked the other coach for an interference call. 
Their head coach says, “what, have them do it over?”
“No, I was thinking more along the lines of the runner being out because he interfered.”
Suddenly, their assistant coach gets all fired up… “Interference? Yeah, if anything I should be asking for an extra base for my guys because your kid interfered. He was in the base path.” Here the other coach made several mistakes, none of which I was prepared to defend at the moment. I was just startled at how quickly he got defensive and snippy about it. So rather than argue with him I just shrugged, held my hands up and said “fine… ” but then in anger, I let a quick… “just can it.” Because frankly, I was mad that while his team was winning 12 to 1 that he was getting so defensive and being so wrong at the same time. I hated that I let that bit of anger slip out, but honestly, it was the best I could do at the time.
So to further complete the story, I both called my Dad (who confirmed I was right) and we looked up the official rules when we got home.
From the official rules of baseball (with regard to the runner) 7.08:
(b) He intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball; Rule 7.08(b) Comment: A runner who is adjudged to have hindered a fielder who is attempting to make a play on a batted ball is out whether it was intentional or not.
Then to further solidify the baseline situation from section 7.08 (a):
…A runner’s baseline is established when the tag attempt occurs and is a straight line from the runner to the base he is attempting to reach safely…
This indicates that the baseline only exists when a tag attempt occurs. And since there was no tag attempt being made (Grayson was just trying field a batted ball), the baseline is irrelevant, it’s the runner’s responsibility to yield to the right of way of the fielder. The correct call, as it turns out, should have been for the runner to be out and since the ball would be dead at that point, supposedly, the batter-runner would be awarded first base. Also see, 7.09 (L).
Oh, and the final point on which the other coach was wrong, if I am remembering his comments correctly, is that there is no such thing as fielders interference — it’s called ‘obstruction’. I don’t recall him using that term correctly, but in the heat of the moment, I may be wrong on what words he used exactly. Point is, he was wrong. Completely. I do like it when I’m right. Since we have 10 games this season and since there are only a total of 3 teams, we have to play that team now 4 more times. If nothing else, I feel even more inspired to really try to help the kids get better.