If runner touches batted ball, penalties will follow

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THERE IS NOTHING IN THE description of a runner that allows him to touch or field a batted or thrown ball. A runner's job is simply to run and get to the next base. Runners have historically placed themselves in unorthodox situations and have challenged the umpires and members of the Playing Rules Committee by handling the baseball which is the business of the defensive team the last time I checked.

The Cubs and Mets played in Chicago on April 21. In the bottom of the eighth inning the Cubs were batting with the bases loaded and two outs, leading 2-1. Cubs' batter Ronny Cedeno tapped a ground ball that rolled foul a few feet off the third base line and several feet from the bag where Derrek Lee, the Cubs runner on third, picked up the ball and tossed it into the stands to give a lucky fan a souvenir.

According to rule 7.09 (b), It is interference by a batter or a runner when he intentionally deflects the course of a foul ball in any manner that has the opportunity to become fair. Plate umpire Angel Hernandez nor veteran third base ump Daryl Cousins, invoked the rule. It's possible that in their judgment they felt one hundred per cent sure that the ball had no chance of rolling into fair territory. However, how could they be sure? There certainly was enough real estate left for the ball to hit a pebble or groove on the ground and rebound into fair territory.

What I find surprising is that Mets' manager Willie Randolph did not argue the call or maybe protest the game. Randolph said that he had trouble with Hernandez the night before and thought he would get ejected if he argued the play. But chances are that an argument or protest would have triggered a crew consultation which could have resulted in Lee being called out. If the umpires said that in their judgment the ball had no chance of rolling into fair territory, that would explode any chance to win a protest and it would have been a waste of time.

If Randolph protested the game, he would have had history on his side. During the 1957 season president Claude Engberg of the Pioneer League upheld a protest citing the rule outlined above. The teams involved were Great Falls and Idaho Falls. Domingo Carrasquel of Great Falls was on third base when he picked up a foul grounder off the bat of a teammate and tossed the ball to the Idaho Falls pitcher. The Idaho Falls manager argued that Carrasquel should be called out. But the umpires allowed Carrasquel to remain at third base instead of enforcing the rule and calling him out.

Engberg ordered the game replayed from the last half of the fourth inning when the play in question occurred. Great Falls eventually won the contest, 3-1.

From this corner Randolph's best shot was to have the umpires change the ruling on the field and call Lee out by forcing a crew conference.

Managers have a much better chance of winning their case on the field rather than in the court of the commissioner's office.

Over the years, runners have touched the ball in some rather unusual ways that have had the men in blue scratching their heads.

On June 25, 1995, the Rangers hosted the A's. In the top of the first inning, Mark McGwire rapped a single to left field where Rangers' outfielder Rusty Greer fielded the ball and fired it to the plate in an attempt to nail Rickey Henderson. Rangers' catcher Pudge Rodriguez bobbled the ball as Henderson slid home safely.

While Henderson sat in the area of home plate after he scored, he noticed the ball on the ground and nudged it before Rodriguez could get his hands on it. In the process, Javier was advancing to third. Rodriguez picked up the ball and fired to third too late to get Javier.

Plate umpire Ken Kaiser called Javier out because Henderson had interfered with the play by touching the ball. The problem here was that there was no rule to cover this type of play since Henderson's interference occurred after he scored not after he was put out which is covered in 7.09 (e). The ump had to utilize rule 9.01 (c) which gives umpires the authority to rule on any point not specifically covered in the rule book.

Kaiser took the common sense approach and called Javier out for Henderson's handling of the ball. That's good umpiring.

In the following scenario, the umps probably should have leaned on 9.01 (c).

Don Hoak circumvented the rules and rattled the baseball world early in the 1957 season when he fielded the ball as a runner. In a game against the Milwaukee Braves, the Reds were batting with Hoak on second and Gus Bell on first when Wally Post bounced a grounder in the direction of Braves' shortstop Johnny Logan.

To avert an apparent 6-4-3 double play, Hoak startled everyone in sight when he fielded the ball with his bare hands. The clever Redleg was called out for getting hit by a batted ball but the punishment didn't fit the crime since Post was allowed to remain at first and Bell stayed on second. In a slapstick, creative way, Hoak prevented his team from hitting into a double play.