Quote:
Originally Posted by SRW
Umpire judgment. 100%.
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While absolutely correct, I'm not sure that's exactly helpful.
I think the underlying question is what's the appropriate criteria to base the judgment on.
My personal take on this is that if the runner would likely have been out anyway or safe at the preceding base that I'm not awarding an extra base because that's not the intent of the rule. The only way I'm giving the forward base is if in my 100% judgment, absent the obstruction she would have been safe at the forward base.
Doesn't matter at all which way the runner is going though, consider this: rundown between 1st and second F4 starts chasing R1 toward 1B and pulls up to make a throw that sails over to the fence. As she pulls up, the runner smacks solidly into F3 and falls to the ground. That's an award of at least second. Depending on where the ball goes and where the backup is it may be an award of third.
Technically, your supposed to make the judgment when the obstruction occurs; practically, I don't think waiting half a second in a rundown to see what is about to happen to the ball is in violation of the spirit of that rule. What happens subsequent to the immediate action should of course be discouraged.
I'm usually wrong though, so you should probably wait for somebody to come along and correct me.
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