[Jim Porter]

Originally posted by David Emerling
Speaking only of Type B (OBR style) obstruction:

1. If a runner is obstructed and the umpire judges that he was not making any legitimate attempt to get to any particular base, the umpire is free to make NO AWARD and to, essentially, ignore the obstruction.

Incorrect. When obstruction occurs, there is always a penalty. "No penalty," is never a choice. At the moment the obstruction occurs point and say, "That's obstruction." At that moment, decide where to protect the obstructed runner. You can protect him to his advance base if he is making a legitimate effort to advance, or you can protect him back to his previous base. In any event, that protection somewhere is the penalty for the defense's illegal act.

2. If the runner is obstructed while making a legitimate attempt to get to a base (whether advancing or returning) an award is always in order. The awarded base is always the one toward which the runner was striving at the time of the obstruction.

Your statements are close, but not quite, correct. When obstruction occurs, a penalty is always in order. As I stated a moment ago, that penalty is the protection of the runner to some destination. The umpire must judge at the time of the obstruction whether the runner was making a legitimate attempt to advance. If he is not legitimately advancing, the runner is protected on his retreat. This is most common when a runner is obstructed just after rounding a base, when he obviously had no intention of advancing. When rounding a base, even though he is obstructed while advancing, he is not making a legitimate effort to advance. Such a runner should be protected on his retreat only.

3. Once a runner has reached the base to which he would have been awarded, the umpire may choose to award the runner additional bases by assessing the circumstances of the play as it is allowed to continue.

Correct. Jaksa/Roder calls that, "post-obstruction evidence." Wild throws into dead ball territory are the most common types of post-obstruction evidence.

4. So, to answer the following question: Can a Type B obstructed runner be thrown out between the bases where the original obstruction occurred? Answer: NO! However, the awarded base has nothing to do with which base the runner is ultimately thrown out at. Rather, the awarded base is that base to which the runner was striving at the time of the obstruction.

Examples to illustrate this point:

Example #1: BR rounds first and is simply bluffing an advance to 2nd when he is obstructed. While attempting to return to 1st the BR is caught in a rundown. The umpire allows the rundown to proceed and calls the runner out if tagged out, regardless of where or how the out occurs. Essentially, this runner has no protection.

Incorrect. There is a logistical problem with your play. The obstruction rule was designed so that a quandry such as you described cannot occur.

If the throw has a chance to get that particular runner (rounding and bluffing) in a pickle, it will always be Type A obstruction. The throw would have to be on its way in order for the runner to get caught under such circumstances. If it were Type B, the runner would have enough time to either retreat or decide to advance on his own. The retreat would be protected, the advance would not. The difference between Type A and Type B is one of timing. You have described a play with Type A timing, but with a Type B scenario. Rest assured that it just can't happen that way.

Example #2: BR rounds first and is making a legitimate attempt to advance to 2nd when he is obstructed. BR is ultimately thrown out at 2nd. Time out! BR awarded 2nd.

You got that one.

Example #3: BR rounds first and decides to return to 1st. While attempting to return to 1st he is obstructed. The runner ultimately gets caught in a rundown and is tagged out. Ruling: Regardless of circumstances of how this runner is ultimately tagged out, his award is going to 1st base ... the base toward which he was striving at the time of the obstruction. So, if this runner is tagged out on a close play into 2nd - his award is 1st base.

Once again you've created a play with Type A timing and Type B circumstances. It cannot happen that way. If the runner is reatreating, and is obstructed, and a throw is able to get that runner caught in a rundown - that's Type A obstruction.

Type B obstruction is only used when the ball is far removed from the obstruction. It is impossible for obstruction to occur so close to a rundown and be able to call it Type B.