Batter (waiting) on home plate interfers with play

Anonymous asked: Next player at bat standing on Home Plate waiting for play to be over and his turn at bat.

Meanwhile, player at third base runs for home. Ball gets thrown home too. Crazy play.

Kid sliding home takes down the 'batter in waiting' too, and catcher is completely caught off guard by the extra kid standing on home plate--can't get to the slider.....whats the call?

Rick answered: Thank you for your question!

I'll bet this one got interesting real fast.

What you have is offensive interference. Technically that is an act (physical or verbal) by the team at bat:
a. which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play.

The offensive team in this situation managed to do all 5 possibilities.

While it is the on deck hitters responsibility to move up towards the plate area to tell the runner to slide or stand up, he needs to remain off the home plate dirt area, out of the way of the action.

In the photo above, the on deck hitter is visible, yet out of the way. That is an MLB game, they give them leeway on where they can come to. Youth players should stay off the dirt area, so there is no question.

The call would be offensive interference, runner is out at the plate. If there was a possibility of a double play on the backside of the interference, the umpire can call that runner out also, even without a play attempt.

I would be interested in what the call was on the field.

Yours in baseball,

Rick