Elly De La Cruz’s Stolen Base Thwarted by Batter Interference Call
The Reds hosted the Mariners at Great American Park on April 16, 2025. In the bottom of the eighth, Austin Hays was batting with a 0-2 count facing Gabe Speier with Elly De La Cruz on first base. Hays struck out, and De La Cruz, who was stealing on the play was also called out because Hays interfered with catcher Cal Raleigh in his attempt to throw to second base.
Ruleball Comments
- Plate ump Chris Segal made the proper call. Rule 6.01 (a) (5) reads, “It is interference by a batter (Hays) or a runner when any batter or runner who has just been put out, or any runner who has just scored, hinders or impedes any following play being made on a runner. Such runner (De La Cruz) shall be declared out for the interference of his teammate (Hays). Once Segal called Hays out for interference, second base ump Alan Porter called De La Cruz out.
- Intent is not part of the batter interference rule. And CONTACT IS NOT NECESSARY for the rule to be invoked. If the batter impedes or hinders the catcher attempting to make a play on a runner, the umpire can invoke the interference rule. It is a judgment call and subjective.
- Because the batter’s momentum on his swing often causes this type of interference, it is difficult to avoid.
- The ball is not dead at the moment of interference. If the catcher retires the runner, the interference is nullified. If the catcher does not retire the runner, the batter is out and the runner must return to his base unless the interference occurs on “Strike Three,” in which case both the batter and the runner are out. No runners can advance when interference is called.
- The catcher must attempt to make a throw before interference can be called.
- The batter can interfere with the catcher while still in the batter’s box if the trunk of his body leans into the catcher’s throwing lane.
Some catchers will try to initiate the call by going into the batter. Teams should have scouting reports on such catchers.
Rich Marazzi
Rules consultant/analyst: Angels, Dodgers, Mets, Nationals, Orioles, Padres, Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, Rangers, Royals, Tigers, Twins, White Sox, Yankees, YES, and Chicago Sports Network
The previous commenter is exactly right. When instructors make small errors like this in their instructional materials, it muddies the waters for veteran and new umpires alike, especially those who work in multiple rule sets. The content on this site is almost always fantastic, but all it takes is one poor editing job to mislead an umpire and open the door to incorrect interpretations on the field. Hurts the whole game.
Your statement “Once Segal called Hays out for interference, second base ump Alan Porter called De La Cruz out.” is not correct. Batter (Hays) was not called out for interference. He was called out on strike 3.
Therefore, the runner (De La Cruz) is called out because of the interference by the already-out Hays.
Had this swing been strike 2 on Hays, he would have been called out for batter’s interference, the ball would be dead and the runner (De la Cruz) would have been returned to 1B .