[WestMichBlue]

I know that we beat this up in the past, but it is always interesting to bring up an old subject in a new year, because sometimes we get new answers. Anyway, here goes.

From a NFHS varsity game last week. Batter hits solid shot to RC field. At this point you are thinking solid single, and settle back to see what develops. But then the play starts to fall apart.

First, we have obstruction at 1B. Solid contact, B-R stopped and knocked off-stride.

Second, F8 does not cleanly play ball and B-R takes off for 2B.

Third, B-R is very fast and goes right past 2B when F4 bobbles relay from F8.

B-R goes into 3B standing up beating a weak throw from F4. Play is over, obstruction dropped. Our simple single now has a runner at 3B due to lackadaisical and sloppy play by F8 and F4.

Now lets play “What-If?”

(1) What if F8 makes a great play to 2B and B-R is an easy out? Most likely you have B-R protected to 1B and you send her back (to where you judged she belonged at the time of the obstruction).

(2) What if F8 does not field the ball clean and her throw just barely nips the B-R at 2B? Now are you not saying that had it not been for the obstruction, the B-R would have beat the throw to 2B, thus you protected her to 2B. The only difference between play #1 and play #2 is the subsequent action of F8 not playing the ball cleanly.

(3) What if F8 does not make the clean play, and what if F4 bobbles the ball but makes a great throw and just nips the B-R at 3B? There is no question, had the B-R not been obstructed that she would easily beat the throw to 3B. So – will your protect her to 3B? Or say she went past the protected base (was that 1B or 2B?) and the out stands?

It is the subsequent action of F4 bobbling the ball that allowed the B-R to go the 3B. At the same time, there is no doubt that had F4 not bobbled the ball, that any routine throw would have put the B-R out at 3B, obstruction or not.

It is the subsequent actions that made it possible for the B-R to keep advancing. Yet it is the subsequent actions that either made for a close SAFE, or a close OUT, or a not close-at-all routine out. Will you consider the play from beginning to end? Or are you going to say I made my judgment at the instant we had contact way back in the beginning and nothing is going to change my mind?

WMB