Baseball rules corner: division, League Championship Series featured unusual plays

Baseball Digest, Feb, 2003 by Rich Marazzi

THIS 2002 POSTSEASON CREATED fan interest in a variety of ways during the division and League Championship Series. Rules buffs enjoyed a smorgasbord that should satisfy their baseball appetites throughout the winter.

Game 2 NLDS:

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Diamondbacks had Alex Cintron on second and Tony Womack on first with two outs when Junior Spivey hit a ground ball to Cards' third baseman Scott Rolen. Cintron, en route to third, crashed into Rolen and got tangled up with him. It was a case of blatant runner's interference (7.08-b; 7.09-1). Cintron was called out ending the inning and maybe the hopes of the D'Backs who were trailing, 1-0. Arizona eventually lost the game.

Rolen was seriously injured and did not play the remainder of the postseason.

Game 3 ALDS:

With the Angels trailing the Yankees, 6-5, in the bottom of the seventh inning at Anaheim, the Angels had Garret Anderson on second and Troy Glaus at first with pinch-hitter Shawn Wooten at the plate. With Mike Stanton pitching, a strike was called, but third base umpire Lance Diaz had called "time" just before the pitch because a beach ball rolled onto the field. The strike was erased from the count. Wooten subsequentty popped to second. Scott Spiezio then singled to tie the game.

Game 5 ALDS:

Mark Mulder of the A's was pitching to the Twins' Denny Hocking in the top of the sixth inning with Michael Cuddyer on first. Mulder's pitch bounced in the dirt in front of catcher Ramon Hernandez and landed at the top of Hernandez's chest protector where it appeared the ball got momentarily lodged and then popped out. Cuddyer advanced to second on the play.

According to rule 5.09(9), if a ball gets lodged in the catcher's mask or paraphernalia, and remains out of play, runners are allowed to advance one base. In the mentioned scenario, the ball apparently did not remain out of play long enough for the umpire to invoke the rule. Regardless, Cuddyer advanced to second anyway.

Game 5 ALDS:

In the bottom of the sixth inning at Oakland, Miguel Tejada hit a ground ball to Denny Hocking at second with one out. Hocking threw to shortstop Cristian Guzman to start a 4-6-3 double play. Guzman dropped the ball but Scott Hatteberg, going from first to second, was called out. It didn't appear that Guzman was about to make a voluntary transfer of the ball when he dropped it, but the out stood.

Earlier in the game, Tejada threw to Mark Ellis at second base to start a 6-4-3 DP. Ellis dropped the ball, and like Guzman, it didn't appear that he was voluntarily transferring the ball to make a throw. The runner, however, was called out at second.

Game 1 ALCS:

Anaheim's Adam Kennedy was batting with one out in the eighth inning when he was put out as a fan ran onto the field. Angels' manager Mike Scioscia argued that Kennedy should bat over because he thought "time" was called. But umpires Larry Young and Dana DeMuth claimed that they never called "time."

Game 2 NLCS:

Jim Edmonds of the Cardinals led off the top of the ninth inning with a high fly down the left field line. Barry Bonds ran toward the line in pursuit of the ball. The ball struck Bonds' glove in fair territory and fell to the ground. It was ruled a fair ball even though it appeared that Bonds' feet were in foul territory.

Unlike football and basketball, position of the ball, not position of the player's feet, determines whether or not a ball is fair or foul or in play.

Game 4 ALCS:

With the Angels' Darin Erstad on first and no outs, Tire Salmon swung at a 3-1 pitch as Erstad took off for second. Salmon missed the pitch and his momentum took him in front of Twins' catcher A.J. Pierzynski. The Twins thought that Salmon interfered with Pierzynski, but no call was made. Color commentator Steve Lyons erroneously said, "It's not interference unless Salmon makes contact with the catcher."

Contact is not required per rule 6.06(c). It's possible that the umpire judged that Salmon did not hinder Pierzynski enough to call interference. But contact is not a prerequisite in such plays.

Game 4 ALCS:

Doug Mientkiewicz led off the top of the eighth inning for the Twins with a fly ball that dropped in front of Erstad in center field. Erstad dove for the ball but missed. For a moment the ball had disappeared in a divot of grass. If Erstad was unable to find the ball, the umps most likely would have had to refer to 9.01 (c) which gives each umpire the authority to rule on any point not specifically covered in the rulebook.

Game 5 NLCS:

In the bottom of the second inning and one out, Giants catcher Benito Santiago hit a roller to Cards' third baseman Miguel Cairo. Santiago's bat broke in two and a large part of the bat distracted Cairo who made the play successfully.

Keep in mind that there is never interference in a broken bat situation. If a batter loses control of the entire bat and it hinders or confuses a fielder, interference could be called. (6.05 (h) See note.

Game 5 NLCS:

In a strange twist, Santiago and Cairo were connected again in the bottom of the fifth inning. This time it was Cairo who got in Santiago's way.