The situation: Runners on 1 and 2. 1st baseman playing well inside. Batter hits sharp grounder into gap about 1/3 way from 1st to 2nd. 1st baseman charges the ball and just misses; 2nd baseman has no chance. R1 going to 2, a good 6’ behind 1st baseman, runs into fair batted ball, which is deflected into the infield. Runner reaches 2 safely. The manager of the defense comes out and argues that the runner should be called out for interfering with a fair batted ball. The umpires confer and agree on a decision. “That was nothing”. The manager disagreed and said, of the fact that an infielder had a chance to play the ball, “That doesn’t matter.” Governing rule: 5.09 - “The ball becomes dead and runners advance one base, or return to their bases, without liability to be put out, when - (f) a fair ball touches a runner or an umpire on fair territory before it touches an infielder including the pitcher, or touches an umpire before it has passed an infielder other that the pitcher. Runner hit by a fair batter ball is out. NOTE: If a fair ball goes through, or by an infielder and touches a runner immediately back of said infielder or touches a runner after being deflected by an infielder, the ball is in play and the umpire shall not declare the runner out. In making such decision, the umpire must be convinced that the ball passed through, or by, the infielder and that no other infielder had the chance to make a play on the ball...” Richard Rickard, Umpire-in-Chief 2013