Can 1st basemen obstruction question

[Firststate]

Ball hit to pitcher. Throws to first girl is out. Umpire calls it. First baseman has foot across bag when making catch. Batter runs through first trips over first basemans leg. First base coach yells interference, runner yelling her leg is in the way. Parents think she is hurt and run on field and yell about firstbaseman. Umpire not sure changes call to safe. Is she safe or out.

 

[Sparky Guy]

If the ball beat the runner to 1st base and the fielder caught the ball while she has her foot on the bag before the runner got to the base the runner is out so there is no obstruction by the 1st baseman. Unless in the judgement of the umpire the runner altered her actions to avoid hitting the fielder, they may rule obstruction.

If the fielder did not have a foot on the base and the runner tripped over her foot causing her to not touch the base umpire can rule obstruction on the fielder.

 

[Firststate]

I don't think first baseman made her change her speed she ran right into her leg. Since umpire called her out first he didn't think she was affected. The way the other coaches and parents were yelling he just didn't want issues.

 

[quincy]

I am just trying to picture this play in my head, were you using a double base?

 

[Eric F]

Parents think she is hurt and run on field...

Problem #1 ^

The way the other coaches and parents were yelling he just didn't want issues.

Problem #2 ^


If the runner was not required to alter her path or slow her speed because of 1B making the play, then there is no OBS, and the runner is out. What happened to the runner after the out was made doesn't matter.

 

[MTR]

Ball hit to pitcher. Throws to first girl is out. Umpire calls it. First baseman has foot across bag when making catch. Batter runs through first trips over first basemans leg. First base coach yells interference, runner yelling her leg is in the way. Parents think she is hurt and run on field and yell about firstbaseman. Umpire not sure changes call to safe. Is she safe or out.

Weak umpiring, idiotic coaching and the parents, well, stupid is as stupid does.

 

[Firststate]

No, we do not have a double base. It was a little chaotic after the play was over, our coach asked the ump what his call was and the parent told the coach she was safe. Our coach said the parent needed to get off the field and they started to argue and bump chests. It is just rec league, and the umpire's daughter was on the team of the base runner. It would have been the third out, but we gave up 2 runs as result of the call. I just wanted to know what the real rule would be, because no one at the game seemed to know.

 

[KPower]

Similar situation for our team on Saturday. 10U TB. Batter hits a line drive to short. SS bobbles the ball and drops it. Eventually thrown toward 1st. 1st baseman is completely blocking the base. Batter runs fast and hard (she is generally an aggressive baserunner - but not a very big girl), plows into 1st baseman. Ball is caught (in this order). Field ump calls batter/runner out. PU overrules as 1st baseman was blocking the base - calls obstruction. (Even though runner would have been safe anyway since she clearly beat the ball) Batter winds up in the hospital with a severe sprain/possible fractures to her ankle. Coach at 1st base was praising her player, Head Coach came over and chewed 1st baseman out. "How many times have I told you you can't stand there?" That made me angry - putting a player at a position where they routinely make mistakes with the ball is one thing, putting a player in a position where she routinely makes mistakes that endanger another player is a whole other thing. No parents on the field. Only coaches and players.

So - what should the batter have done in this case? Genuinely curious as I really don't know...should the runner have run around the 1st baseman? Continued on her path and plowed thru her, like she did? Or something else?

 

[Sparky Guy]

Batter hits a line drive to short. Fielded by SS and thrown toward 1st.

I read this and was thinking "Caught ball with a throw to 1st trying to double a runner off." After reading the post a couple of times it sounds more like a hard hit grounder to SS and a throw to 1st get the runner.

You have to remember something when you're dealing with 10U kids. They make mistakes repeatedly even after you've shown them the right way. Many of them take many, many reps to learn a skill or how to play a position. From your description it sounds like there was no double base. If not a big mistake on the part of the organization with control of the field.

 

[KPower]

Fixed post...Sorry - to clarify - line drive is bobbled and dropped by SS and correct - no double base. My mistake. How does runner handle this situation?