Baseball - runner overruns the catcher

[Amy in AZ.]

Hmmm. I am not so sure that this isn't a dirty play.

High School Baseball Player Steals Home for Walk-off Win | Bleacher Report

 

[Eric F]

It looks to me that the catcher put himself in a LOT of danger. Stepping in front of the batter is a good way to get hit in the back, and straddling the baseline invites exactly what happened.

 

[Amy in AZ.]

I thought the coach put the runner and the catcher in danger.

 

[Eric F]

I thought the coach put the runner and the catcher in danger.

Agreed. My vision tends to be a little catcher-centric.

 

[Little Angels Softball]

No danger until the catcher decides to go up the line and block the plate. The runner can't simply stop or try to go around at that point, so you get what you get.

Looks like both players were in it to win. The catcher wasn't going to let him get to the plate and the runner wasn't going to be denied. The runner had a big head of steam and he came out on top. Clean play all around.

Ironically, if the batter knew what he was doing, all he had to do was swing while the catcher was in front of him and the runner would have been awarded home plate regardless of the outcome of the steal attempt due to catcher interference.

 

[Comp]

Not sure about baseball rules, but in softball the catcher cannot move out in front of the plate and catch the ball before the batter has a chance to hit it. It is catchers obstruction.