Thread: Obstruction
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Old Tue May 15, 2012, 12:25pm
DaveASA/FED DaveASA/FED is offline
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Join Date: May 2003
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I think MNBlue covered the answer, but I want to clarify one part of the rule.

Obstruction awards the runner the base they would have obtained in the umpires judgement had there not been any obstruction. So if there was no turning themselves about(bad hokey pokey reference, I know) with the short stop then what base would that runner have obtained?? You think it would have been home, the umpire felt it was only 3B (or they misapplied the obstruction rule and only gave one base which is WRONG, they should get whatever base in their judgement they would have obtained...could be back a base depending on the situation). This is why MNBlue's comment is so important you have to be careful as a coach sending runners past the base they were obstructed because you can't read the umpires mind. Most umpires will drop the delayed dead ball signal some time during the play (hard to run with one wing sticking out) some will try to show the signal again after they reach the next base if they are still protecting that runner, but again this isn't always done due to different situations that occur.
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