Hmmmm... where to begin...
How about this?
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Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA
And then someone ruins it all by quoting the case book.
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Errr, umm, that would be me, right?
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Then again, baseball rules run a full circle. Some are so vague you could write an entire new book just to cover all the possible interpretations. Then some get so scenario-specific, you need to figure out what play just occurred before you can find the correct rule to apply.
My strong suit is ASA. I have found that their rules are not so much vague as they are a "one-size-fits-all" read.
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OBR is kinda the holy writ of rules. It was written back in ancient times, and has been translated and re-translated. Your only hope of understanding it is to study volumes of commentaries with references back to the remaining fragments of original intent manuscripts.
Or, another way of looking at it is the ASA rule book is to OBR as the Betty Crocker Cookbook is to IRS instructions.
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Many of us, including myself, tend to read things into the rules that are not there. Why? Because it makes sense.
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My first reaction to the scenario on obstruction was to rule to runner out, since the try for 2B and getting tagged out seemed to have nothing to do with the obstruction. However...
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Everything that was offered in the recent obstruction discussions makes absolute sense and would spur little argument from anyone other then an anal rules idiot like myself.
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I afraid I'm in that category (rules idiot) with you, Mike. So, I started looking for what exceptions were listed for the "can't call the runner out between the bases where the obstruction occured" rule. Was this a rule or a guideline? It turns out it was a rule, and a hard and fast one at that.
One thing I enjoy about these boards is the excuse it gives me to research the rules. I figure it is a fun way to actually read and re-read the rule book.
If the scenario on obstruction had happened to me in a game before this discussion, I would have allowed the out at 2B to stand.