Another obstruction, what's your call?

[Comp]

No, she does not have the right to round the base unimpeded. She has the right to progress to the next base unimpeded. If she is rounding to stop and look, the obstruction before that did NOT prevent her from making it anywhere safely. The momentum needs to be continuous.

Where does the obstruction rule say anything of the sort? It doesn't, it says impedes a runner who is legally running the bases. Running the bases includes all action of a runner, advancing, returning, rounding etc. The runner has every right to round a base and look to see what the defense is doing. It's still obstruction by the defensive player who is standing on the base and making the runner go around them.

 

[dogpatch]

Minor correction: Obstruction was called by PU, the runner was called out by U1 at home. The crew awarded the runner home.

Correct! I failed to notice the umpire shift!

 

[CHSUmp97]

No, she does not have the right to round the base unimpeded. She has the right to progress to the next base unimpeded. If she is rounding to stop and look, the obstruction before that did NOT prevent her from making it anywhere safely. The momentum needs to be continuous.

Please rethink this. Simply stated, the rule does not allow for a fielder to hinder or impede a runner while running the bases. Rounding a bag is a fundamental tactic in running bases. Coaches instruct players that when they round a bag, they focus on touching the inside corner of that bag. If there is a fielder standing there taking away that inside corner like in the video and the runner slows down, turns the bag wider, and/or bumps into that fielder, it’s obstruction, period.

The runner DOES have the right to round the base unimpeded. The moment a runner or batter-runner starts her advance or return to a base, a fielder without possession of the ball cannot hinder or impede her in any way, shape or form. It doesn’t matter if the runner is running, rounding, sliding, shimmying, diving, whatever. She has the right to do any of that with hindrance or impedance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[El Oso]

Wow . . . going to go "controversial" here . . . and then head to the old thread to see if I thought the same thing before.

I am going to make the case for NO obstruction. In my judgement, that runner was NOT impeded going home. The runner was rounding the base and checking up. There was enough of a hesitation by the runner at third base that I don't feel she was running through. She was out because of her actions, not the fielder's.

I can see how it was called obstruction. Here is my second controversial opinion: IF you are going to call the obstruction, I agree with @Rolling Hard that I think the award should have been putting her back at third base. I do not think "the obstruction" caused her to be out at the plate. R1 would go back to first (the play is dead on the "out" at the plate).

OK . . . headed to the old thread to see what I said . . .

OH . . . before I do . . . that is the dream every U1 working a 3-person crew has. Other than not caring for the PU's positioning at third, GREAT rotation by that crew.

. . . and I am laughing my arse off. My comment in the old thread:





I guess that shows that the call can go either way on any given day.

And umpires wonder why fans get frustrated....... hahaha

 

[Agcy]

I know this is not exactly the case in the video, and that may be what we are splitting some hairs on.

No, she does not have the right to round the base unimpeded. She has the right to progress to the next base unimpeded. If she is rounding to stop and look, the obstruction before that did NOT prevent her from making it anywhere safely. The momentum needs to be continuous.

That is the minute nit that I am picking (for the sake of discussion, as I said, in real time on the dirt, I am 99.99% making the same call they made). If she checks herself up, it was not the fielder. If she keeps moving, then it is on the fielder.

The reality is, as @Comp and others have said, the call is made. That is part of what I am cautioning. We want to be on the spot with the call, but do not be too fast.

Yes, you are correct, astute runners and coaches will be on their game with this (as they should be!).

@RADcatcher of course teams WANT to score, that is the objective! I am saying that simply rounding the base is not automatically trying to score/advance. Rounding the base can be assessing the opportunity and making a choice.

I think the next thing - IF obstruction is called, then the umpire has to gage if she should would have made it safe to the next base if the obstruction did not happen. Correct?

Easy to say this after watching the video a few times, but I think 3RD base player slowed her down a little - I think that if she was a little quicker to home she would have been safe. Therefore, I think she would have gotten home without the obstruction and it was the right call. Right?

 

[Agcy]

Anyone see the Oklahoma/Washington game? There was an obstruction call at the plate that I thought was suspect, but after they read the rule it seemed correct. Basically the catcher blocked the plate without the ball before the runner was near it. it was called even though it looked like it would have otherwise been a pretty clear out with ball arriving well before runner.

There is a lot of emphasis this year. Last year, if you were in the running lane at home as the runner rounded third, it was obstruction. This year is a more as when the runner gets close to home. But, as I understand it, if the runner gets to a point that she is committing to the base/plate and the defense is in the way - it is obstruction

 

[The Man In Blue]

I've said about all I can on this play. I understand what many of you are saying. I am seeing a piece of it differently and acknowledging that we would likely never see that piece in real time.

B6 shows a fake bunt and F5 creeps towards the plate and is in the baseline. R3 is not attempting to advance home, but is getting a jump on each pitch. R3's lead takes her (a) within 10 feet behind the fielder; (b) within a foot behind the fielder; (c) close enough that her momentum takes her into contact.

Obstruction?

 

[Comp]

I've said about all I can on this play. I understand what many of you are saying. I am seeing a piece of it differently and acknowledging that we would likely never see that piece in real time.

B6 shows a fake bunt and F5 creeps towards the plate and is in the baseline. R3 is not attempting to advance home, but is getting a jump on each pitch. R3's lead takes her (a) within 10 feet behind the fielder; (b) within a foot behind the fielder; (c) close enough that her momentum takes her into contact.

Obstruction?

Being in the baseline in itself is not obstruction, until the runner is impeded by a fielder not in possession of the ball the fielder can be anywhere they want. How does what you just described have anything to do with the video that was posted? In the video the runner was clearly impeded by the fielder in getting around the base.

 

[Rolling Hard]

I've said about all I can on this play. I understand what many of you are saying. I am seeing a piece of it differently and acknowledging that we would likely never see that piece in real time.

B6 shows a fake bunt and F5 creeps towards the plate and is in the baseline. R3 is not attempting to advance home, but is getting a jump on each pitch. R3's lead takes her (a) within 10 feet behind the fielder; (b) within a foot behind the fielder; (c) close enough that her momentum takes her into contact.

Obstruction?

Well if it was called obstruction it would be a teaching moment.... stay out of the base path without the ball. I have seen low budget coaches teach the 1st baseman to obstruct runner on first on every pitch by basically setting up in base path.

 

[RADcatcher]

And umpires wonder why fans get frustrated....... hahaha

Yeah agree and it fuels the debate argument for the future