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Originally Posted by Dakota
Small nit to pick. I don't like "altering her path" (although I know what you mean). I'd prefer to say what the rule says, "2) The runner was impeded because of (1)". Slowing down is being impeded, but may not be viewed as altering her path.
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I would call obstruction on a fielder for simply
complicating things for the runner. For all we know, the runner was trying to find access to the bag because her attempt to reach it was being "complicated" by the fielder's positioning on the
runner's side of the bag.
For all the umpire knows, the fact that the runner slid into the fielder's leg was nothing more than the manifestation of a desperate attempt to get
around the fielder - something she should not have to contend with.
If the runner's proximity to the base is so close that the fielder's position becomes an issue, obstruction is the likely call.
My previous points were that the fielder could be "blocking" the base, but it would not be an issue until ... well ... it became an
issue. If the runner is still 30-feet away from the base, the fact that the fielder is "blocking" access to the base can hardly be considered a factor. The fielder can still correct their position without a violation. But as the runner gets closer, it becomes an issue and the fielder is likely guilty of obstruction at that time.
David Emerling
Memphis, TN