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Originally Posted by cookie
"MadCity asks:
"PB (Pete Booth),
If your runner tries for third and is thrown out by an eyelash, will you still call him out?'"
In my view, if the BR is obstructed as he rounded first and his run is continuous all the way to third, AND then he is out on a very close play at third, I would think that the OBS back at first prevented BR from achieving his triple safely. In my judgement, if the BR would have made it, I would nullify the out (probably not have called it) and call BR safe at third due OBS.
Anyone else think along these lines on Pete's play?
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I agree. I tend to think of obstruction as a "distance" penalty. When the runner is obstructed, I try to figure out "how far behind" he is, compared to where he'd be if he wasn't obstructed. If he's thrown out by less than that amount, I award the base. If he's out by more than that amount, he's still out (assuming this is past the minimum award -- one base in FED). And, the benefit of the doubt goes to the runner.
So, in Pete's play, if the runner is out on a close play, I'm awarding third. If F5 catches the ball while the runner is 45' away from third, he's out.