Baseball rules corner: interference by base coaches can be costly to team on offense.

THE BALTIMORE ORIOLES HOSTED the Tampa Bay Devil Rays on August 2 when Orioles' outfielder Brady Anderson ran into third base coach Tom Trebelhorn while rounding third. Umpire John Hirschbeck called Anderson out because of coach's interference outlined in rules 7.09 (i) and 7.09 (j).

This type of interference normally occurs in one of three ways. It happens when a coach (1) attempts to stop a runner from advancing further; (2) assists a runner by helping him to his feet for the purpose of advancing or returning to base; or (3) by failing to avoid a fielder who is in the act of making a play such as fielding a pop fly. Also, umpires must be alert to the possibility of a time play in these situations.

Rule 7.09 (i) reads, "It is interference by a batter or a runner when in the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists him in resuming to or leaving third base or first base."

The key words of the rule are "physically assists." Since the word "assist" can be broadly interpreted, coaches can be nailed for the slightest tampering.

Notice the word "touch" is also part of the rule's language. Therefore, the rule is liberally interpreted without much room for plea bargaining from the offensive team.

The argument as to what constitutes aiding or assisting a runner surfaced on May 13, 1988 at Yankee Stadium where the Yanks hosted the Angels. At the center of the storm was Yankees' third base coach Clete Boyer, who made some sensational assists during his tenure as a Yankee third sacker, but none like the one he made that night.

In the bottom of the first inning, the Yanks had Willie Randolph on second base and Jack Clark on first with two outs when Claudell Washington singled to left field. As Randolph rounded third, both he and Boyer made contact about 15 feet down the line.