Quote:
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Originally Posted by DG
Because offensive confusion was caused by the obstruction and subsequent putout of the obstructed runner. The play should probably have been killed when the obstructed runner was put out and then the out on the runner between 3rd and home would not have happened.
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No "probably". Under "obstruction without a play", the ball remains "live"
until a play or attempted play is made on the protected runner. Here, the umpires (in the end, and after a crew huddle) decided to protect R1's return into second base. At the moment the tag was applied on R1, "time" should have been called.
They didn't call "time" and ended up with a lllloooonnnnggggg delay and an ejection as a result. I think, after having watched the play 10 times, that they got the call right. I just think there would have been a lot less confusion if they had called "time" instead of "out" at the moment the tag was applied to R1 diving back into second.
Here is what went on (with my not-so-humble analysis):
(1) R1, R2, long hard drive that short-hops the right field wall. R2 advances to third. R1, as he is rounding second, runs right into a middle infielder. At the time of the obstruction, both U2 and U3 point and call obstruction. At the time of the obstruction, it appears that the ball had just been released by F9. The ball went over the head of the cutoff man in shallow right field, and was caught on a hop near first base by a defensive player (couldn't tell if it was F3), but the fielder was only a few feet away from first base.
(2) IMHO, umpires were correct to keep the ball "live" as no play or attempted play was being made on the obstructed runner.
(3) Pursuant to J/R, on an "obstruction with no play", "the umpire must immediately decide what base the runner would have acquired (or returned to safely) had the obstruction not occurred. He then protects the runner to that base."
(4) After the obstruction, R1 continues running toward third base. He advances approximately 2/3rds of the way to third base...when he realizes that R2 has stopped and stayed at third base.
Not that it matters, but in the replay, you can't see the third base coach, so you can't tell if R2 was being held up by the base coach because the ball was on its way back to the infield...or if he stopped because he was confused by U3's obstruction call. R1 then retreats to second base where he is tagged out on a close (not very close), but close play at second.
(5) J/R says an umpire can consider action after the obstruction to determine what to do (if anything) with the obstructed runner. Thus, while at the time of the obstruction U2 and U3 may have "protected" R1 to third base (had R2 gone home), U2 and U3 may "adjust" their protection.
(6) Thus, in this case the umpires would have to ask "what would have happened if R1 was not obstructed?"
Assume there was no obstruction and R1 had his head down and ran through second base and continued 2/3rds of the way to third, before realizing that R2 had not gone home. R1 then decides to retreat to second. U2 then must decide: if not for the obstruction, would R1 have been safe at second on the retreat? After the play (in the crew huddle), the umpires, obviously, answered this question with a, "yes, he would have been safe." (Which I agree with...it was a close play at second, and the obstruction cost him several steps, IMO.)
(7) J/R says, on obstruction without a play, even though the ball does not become immediately dead..."the ball becomes dead if a fielder possesses the ball and actually tags the protected runner, or forces him into a rundown..." That is what happened in this play...however, U2 did not call time, but rather he called R1 "out". This is where they caused a lot of confusion.
(8) The B/R, seeing R1 going to third, tried to advance to first, but got caught in a rundown (between first and second) after R1 had been called out at second. During this rundown, R2 tries to go home, where he is called "out". B/R now advances to second.
(9) White Sox think they have a double play. Umps get together for a long time and decide that R1 was protected back into second. The ball was dead at that moment...so anything that happened after that was "void". Bases are loaded with no outs.
Clearly, if U2 had called "time" instead of "out" on the play on R1 back into second base...then a lot of subsequent confusion would have been avoided.