From the baseball rule book, it is interference if:
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 returning to or leaving third base or
first base.
For those who missed the end of the game, Vlad Guerrero hit a roller up the middle with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the 9th, with Minnesota leading, 6-4.
Orlando Hudson dived and knocked the ball down. Michael Young, the runner at second, had rounded third and was headed home when third base coach Dave Anderson waved for him to stop.
As Young was stopping, he stuck out his arm, and his fingertips appeared to -- maybe, not definitely -- graze Anderson's fingertips.
Anderson didn't physically assist Michael Young in returning to third base, and Young returned to third base safely; however, he was called out, purportedly because of interference on the part of Anderson.
Thus, the call by third base umpire Alfonzo Marquez that ended the Rangers game this afternoon was clearly wrong.
If the call is correctly made, Nelson Cruz comes up with 2 outs, bases loaded, down 1.
Maybe Texas loses anyway.
But a clearly blown call by the third base ump, calling Michael Young out because (supposedly) of interference by third base coach Dave Anderson, ended the game and cost the Rangers the chance to tie or take the lead.
UPDATE -- Video available here. Twins broadcasters, realizing how stupid the situation is, keep saying sheepishly, "A rule is a rule." However, I haven't seen any rule that says that incidental contact between base coach and runner means the runner is automatically out. The rule seems to say the opposite.