[Mountaincoach]

Originally Posted by Matt

...with good reason. He's wrong.

On a batted ball, there is no more than one protected fielder--the fielder who, in the umpire's judgment, has the best chance of fielding the ball at the time. Any impeding of a runner by any other fielder is obstruction. Any impeding of the protected fielder is interference.

Once the ball is fielded, it is no longer a batted ball. Any impeding of a runner by any fielder without the ball is obstruction, unless (assuming OBR) the fielder is in the act of catching a thrown ball when a play is imminent. For this type of impediment to be legal, the act that impedes the runner must be a part of the necessary action of the fielder to make the play. Under FED, there is no imminent play allowance--the fielder must allow some access to the base unless he has possession of the ball.

Thanks! He's a long-time friend of mine, and I can't wait to tell him.