We played a team on Saturday where the 1st baseman blocked 1st base on purpose everytime the catcher threw to 1st to try and pick off our runner.
We have a runner on 1st. The 1st baseman plays in towards home plate during the pitch. After the pitch she runs back to the bag and stands between the runner and the base and waits on the throw from the catcher. I could tell this was a play that she was coached to do as it was very deliberate. I brought it to the umpire's attention and he said it was obstruction.
There was one time where my runner almost couldn't get her foot back to the base because the first baseman was trying to block her out. The problem I have with this is that if it is obstruction, it sounds like obstruction won't get called until the runner is tagged out because she is blocked from getting back to the base. Then all she gets is to stay at first. In the meantime the runner is at risk of injuring an ankle or hand trying to find an opening to reach the base.
Is this just one of those cute clever little tricks that some coaches come up with to try and gain an advantage? I've been coaching for ten years and this is the first time I've run across this.
We have a runner on 1st. The 1st baseman plays in towards home plate during the pitch. After the pitch she runs back to the bag and stands between the runner and the base and waits on the throw from the catcher. I could tell this was a play that she was coached to do as it was very deliberate. I brought it to the umpire's attention and he said it was obstruction.
There was one time where my runner almost couldn't get her foot back to the base because the first baseman was trying to block her out. The problem I have with this is that if it is obstruction, it sounds like obstruction won't get called until the runner is tagged out because she is blocked from getting back to the base. Then all she gets is to stay at first. In the meantime the runner is at risk of injuring an ankle or hand trying to find an opening to reach the base.
Is this just one of those cute clever little tricks that some coaches come up with to try and gain an advantage? I've been coaching for ten years and this is the first time I've run across this.