“If the play is in front of the runner, how would it be willfully interfering?”

Because, in this case, the runner can clearly see what is going on in front of him. For him to contact the catcher could only be willful. It’s not as if he was, say, attempting a steal of second base, running with his head down, and then…

So what’s your excuse? :)

The rule above couldn’t be more clear and detailed.

Running into a catcher who is in the act of fielding a batter ball is obviously a willful and deliberate act because the play is right in front of the batter-runner. A runner simply must avoid a fielder when the fielder is fielding a batted ball — unless the runner is…

No, he has NO such right. The moment the batter hits the ball in play, he becomes a runner. A runner may not interfere with a fielder attempting to field a batted ball.

It’s worse than that. The ump would have called Desmond out AND called the runner who was on second out — while also returning the runner on first base back to first base.

He made the right decision by not running into the catcher.

Rule 7.09(f): If, in the judgment of the umpire, a batter-runner willfully and deliberately interferes with a batted ball or a fielder in the act of fielding a batted ball, with the obvious intent to break up a double play, the ball is dead; the umpire shall…

Yeah, the media played this like a mega-blizzard.

Why did you leave? I live at 24th and Locust, stayed in town, and had a great time!

I’m certainly not defending Williams in general, but a baseball writer should know that this is flat-out wrong:

“Williams is a major league manager who was unaware of a fight involving his best player that took place maybe 20 feet away...”

Baseball dugouts are about 70 feet long. With a couple of dozen people in between…

So awesome.

When did the definition of “beanball” get changed? Weaver didn’t throw the ball at Seager’s head.

Crazy! The ball actually hits the offensive player’s head a split-second before it hits the defender’s head.

No, it’s “you’re”...

60 feet, 6 inches. I normally wouldn’t be pendantic, but this IS a sports site.

Where did Rinaldi come up with this “300-1 underdog to win this match” nonsense? Vinci’s odds to win the entire Open were 300-1. She was a 10-1 to 20-1 underdog for this match against Serena.

Not at all. I’m just pro-facts, anti-BS.

What’s your point? You claim that NYC has an “almost entirely white police force.” That is a lie.

Nice try. The transitive rules of mathematics do not neatly apply to heritage. Go ask some people from the West Indies who are living in NYC if they consider themselves African-American.

Riiiight. All 35,000 NYC police officers are assholes. As I suspected, you’re just another thoughtless hater. Learn to hate the bad cops.

You’re seeing double. There are only 10 guys in that photo. But, you know, keep hating on cops because it’s cool and trendy.