Inside The Rules: Fan Interference

Jeffrey Maier, Steve Bartman, and Jared Macchirole. Many baseball fans recognize those names right away. Images come to mind of postseason baseball, outfielders moving toward a wall for a catch, and then—well, then arms reach from the stands, fielders fill with rage, and at the time no one seems to be sure what happened. But replays eventually tell all. These three fans reached for balls coming right at them, and their desperate grabs at a keepsake may have kept fielders from making key putouts in playoff games.

The Hardball Times