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Baseball rules corner: spectator interference calls liable to create controversy.
WITH THE CHICAGO CUBS FIVE OUTS away from advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1945, a Cubs fan (Steve Bartman) tried to grab a foul ball at Wrigley Fieid preventing Cubs' outfielder Moises Alou from catching it.
The Marlins, trailing 3-0 at the time in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship Series, proceeded to stage an eight-run rally (thanks in part to shortstop Alex Gonzalez's error) in the eighth inning and went on to win the contest, 8-3. The wild card Marlins won Game 7 and subsequently defeated the Yankees in the World Series.
Although it is popular to say that an overzealous fan stole a pennant from the Cubbies, the truth is Bartman, by definition of the rule, did not interfere with Alou.
According to rule 3.16, when a fielder breaks the plane (fence) of the playing field and reaches into the stands, spectator interference cannot be called. It is called when a fan reaches across the plane of the stands on to the playing field.
When this occurs, the umpires can impose any penalty that would nullify the act of interference. They can award a runner/runners one, two, three, or four bases. Of they can rule a putout in favor of the defense.
In retrospect, several fans in addition to Bartman attempted to snare the foul ball that had the "Curse of the Billy Goat" written all over it. Was it a wise thing to do at the time? Probably not, but to be fair, Bartman and those around him reacted like any fan would have in the other 29 ballparks, 30 if you include Hi Bithorn Stadium in Puerto Rico. On the other hand, Alou, his teammates and Cubs fans all over planet Earth had a right to be disturbed about the incident.
Did the ball cross the place of the playing field? From my perch in my living room chair 1,500 miles away and from photographs I've seen, it appeared that it did. There was no argument from the Cubs, just the expected appearance of disgust.
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Source: HighBeam Research, Baseball rules corner: spectator interference calls liable to create...