GroveDiesel
Addicted to Softballfans
Not sure if it's changed at all, but the Supplement to the Rules in the 2008 Rulebook say:
"13. CRASHING INTO A FIELDER WITH THE BALL. (INTERFERENCE)
In an effort to prevent injury and protect a defensive player attempting
to make a play on a runner, a runner must be called out when they remain
on their feet and crash into a defensive player who is holding the ball and
waiting to apply a tag. To prevent the out ruling, the runner may slide, jump
over the defender holding the ball, go around the defender or return to the
previous base touched. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender
is ejected. A runner may slide into the fielder."
My question is, is there any point where sliding into a fielder is illegal? We've had quite a few guys executing takeout slides to break up double plays and a lot of the time guys are getting spiked in the knees or thighs or just totally blown up. Doing all of that seems like it would be against the spirit of the rule being that it's there to protect people, but I don't see anything that actually makes any of that stuff illegal.
Is there anything that could qualify any of that as illegal, or is it just up to infielders to enforce it by giving a guy like that a solid spike to the face?
"13. CRASHING INTO A FIELDER WITH THE BALL. (INTERFERENCE)
In an effort to prevent injury and protect a defensive player attempting
to make a play on a runner, a runner must be called out when they remain
on their feet and crash into a defensive player who is holding the ball and
waiting to apply a tag. To prevent the out ruling, the runner may slide, jump
over the defender holding the ball, go around the defender or return to the
previous base touched. If the act is determined to be flagrant, the offender
is ejected. A runner may slide into the fielder."
My question is, is there any point where sliding into a fielder is illegal? We've had quite a few guys executing takeout slides to break up double plays and a lot of the time guys are getting spiked in the knees or thighs or just totally blown up. Doing all of that seems like it would be against the spirit of the rule being that it's there to protect people, but I don't see anything that actually makes any of that stuff illegal.
Is there anything that could qualify any of that as illegal, or is it just up to infielders to enforce it by giving a guy like that a solid spike to the face?