[mcrowder]

Forget inteference on this - there is no intent. (And nothing BR does inteferes with the fielder's play anyway).

Perhaps it's a matter of how you read the initial post (on esleeze) and this one. I don't use the step and reach baseball philosophy. I use the "likely out" philosophy.

I'm envisioning a hard bunt fielded by F1 or F3 that hits them and rolls foul. It rolls far enough away from the fielder that they have to chase it, crossing BR's path, and causing him to slow and alter his path. F1 or F3 then retrieves the ball and makes the throw to first, getting a close out.

To me, had the fielder NOT caused BR to alter their path, BR would have gotten to the base significantly sooner, and would not have been out. So the fielder crossing the path of BR is the CAUSE of the out. Without the OBS, there would not have been a "likely out" at first. This is my logic for obstruction on this play.

I will say that the esleeze post seemed more clear cut than this one. It says 2 steps here. It's possible that F3 or F1 had a likely out anyway, even had BR not been forced to alter her path. It's grey, and HTBT - but what I'm ruling on as PU in this case is: "Would batter have made first if she hadn't had to alter." If yes, OBS. If no, OUT.