[umpjim]

Originally Posted by ilyazhito

Baseball has a "God rule" (8.01c, in the new OBR), similar to the football rules for unfair acts, where the umpire can rule on issues not explicitly covered in the rules. This is a perfect example of such an issue. Obstruction is an act that impedes the runner in advancing or returning to a base, but forcing someone off a base is not defined in the rules. However, the obstruction penalty would be appropriate for forcing a runner off his base, because the runner is denied the opportunity to stay on the base, return to it, or to advance. 8.01(c) could be used to justify this intepretation.

No it couldn't. Considering that OBR/MLBUM has an interp for it.