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Dakota,
IMO, you have a DBR who is out if tagged. The rule protects the obstructed runner from being tagged out, but not any other runner.
I'd also say that if the defense abandons the play on the obstructed runner in favor of a play on a different runner, the obstruction call and the associated DDB would be dropped as well unless the additional play was caused by the obstruction, although I'm not 100% sure about this ruling.
Consider the following: R1 on 3rd and R2 on 1st, classic double steal. R2 gets caught in a rundown between 1st and 2nd and is eventually obstructed going back to 1st during the rundown. Just after the obstruction, R1, who has been napping the whole time, finally takes off for home and F3 throws to F2 for the attempted putout of R1 instead of playing on R2 (and essentially freezing R1 and R2 on their original bases which I don't happen to agree with but that's another thread). Anyway F3 throws to F2 for the play on R1 and R2 stope about 10 feet from 1st to watch the play at the plate. After the play at the plate, regardless of the outcome, F2 throws back to F3 to catch the sleeping R2 off the bag. Now is R2 out or not? The rule says that the obstructed runner cannot be put out between the two bases where the obstruction occured, but says nothing about an intervening play. So do you award R2 1st base due to the original obstruction or do you call her out?
Now consider this play: R1 gets caught in a rundown between 2nd and 3rd. During the rundown, the BR pulls into 2nd base. During the rundown, R1 is obstructed going toward 3rd and because of the obstruction turns around and heads back toward 2nd. The BR seeing R1 heading back towards her, leaves 2nd and heads back to 1st. F5 sees that R1 is going to make it back to 2nd safely, so throws to F3 for a tag on the BR instead. Now since I was going to award R1 3rd base due to the obstruction and leave the BR on 2nd, when the ball goes to F3 for the play the BR, at that point I would call time and award R1 3rd and the BR 2nd. OTOH, if R1 was obstructed going back to 2nd, the out on the BR would stand, since she advanced to 2nd before R1 had "vacated" the base, and my award would have only been to put R1 back on 2nd anyway.
I hope this is all clear, and my opinion is subject to change with sufficiently convincing arguments.
What say ye all?
SamC
[Edited by SamNVa on Oct 16th, 2001 at 12:17 PM]
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