Is it a hit if a runner is forced out on the play?
A runner forced out on the play means no hit, even if the ball lands in the outfield. The classic version is a runner who holds on a soft liner and gets forced at second by the right fielder.
Runner on first. A soft liner goes to right, and the runner holds halfway to see if it’s caught. It drops. He takes off late, and the right fielder throws him out at second. The scorekeeper writes a single for the batter and an out at second.
It may feel like a single, but it’s a fielder’s choice.
When a runner is forced out on a batted ball, the batter doesn’t get a hit. It doesn’t matter where the ball went. It doesn’t matter that it landed in the outfield and would have been a single with no one on. The runner on first had to go to second because the batter became a runner. He was put out at second. That’s a force out, and a force out on the play means no hit.
The book’s logic is that the batter reached first because the defense chose to get the lead runner. Making the play from right field doesn’t change that. The batter is charged with an at-bat and no hit.
The same is true with an error. Let’s say the throw to second would have forced the runner, but the shortstop drops it. The batter still doesn’t get a hit, because he’d have been forced but for the error. The shortstop gets the error. The batter gets a fielder’s choice.
When it’s still a hit. The batter keeps his hit when the runner who was thrown out wasn’t forced. For example, a runner on second tries to score on a single to center — and he’s thrown out at home. It’s a tag play rather than a force, so the single stands. The same goes for a runner who tries to go first to third and gets thrown out. No one forced him there.
The runner in our example (the one who held halfway) actually did the right thing by holding on a ball that might be caught. But with a soft liner in front of the right fielder, he needs to be far enough off the bag to make second when it drops.
Which rulebook? Official Baseball Rules 9.05(b)(1): no base hit when a runner is forced out by a batted ball, or would have been forced out except for a fielding error. It doesn't matter where the ball was fielded. A runner thrown out on a play that isn't a force, like a runner from second thrown out at home on a single, doesn't take the hit away.
A runner is going first to third on a single. The right fielder’s throw hits him in the back and rolls away. He was just running the bases. What’s the ruling?
Still have a question? Ask Coach Fungo.
“If the runner from second gets thrown out at home trying to score, the batter keeps his single.”
Obstruction vs. interference
Obstruction is the defense getting in the runner's way, and interference is the offense getting in the fielder's way. The penalties go in opposite directions, so it matters which one the umpire sees.
“If you don't have the ball and you aren't fielding it, get out of the runner's way.”
What counts as a catch?
A catch is secure possession in the hand or glove, plus letting go on purpose. How long he held it and whether he juggled it first don't matter, but a ball stuck in his cap isn't a catch.
“Squeeze it, then throw it. Do it in that order and you'll never have this argument.”
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