Quote:
Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve
No part of what you described included the runner being hindered before she was out. As long as F3 was on white, nothing requires her to be exclusively on white, unless doing so hinder/impedes the BR.
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Expanding on prior reply.
I suspect we are all focusing differently on the wording used by LI in the posted play. What is a "half second"? A fast/above-average runner gets to 1st base ~3.0 seconds (I believe 2.6 is the fastest ever acknowledged as legitimately recorded; anything above 3.5 is considered plodding by clinics). With that information, a "half second" is ~10 feet from first.
If you see an out by 10 feet (two+ full strides), I agree that the BR had more than enough time to be accountable to avoid a chest-to-chest collision. A warning for an unsporting act is appropriate; 10 feet is almost enough space to be considered malicious.
If, as I suspect some of you are interpreting "half second" to mean a much closer play (a split second, an instant, foot above the bag when ball hits mitt), then we have a BR realistically attempting to be safe and running to the base she is supposed to, and not initiating/making avoidable contact that is unsporting. No warning, bad defensive play, but just a train wreck, and out.
But, unless she alters her path to avoid, and/or slows down to minimize the unavoidable contact, before the ball arrives, I still have an out without obstruction as long as the ball arrives first. I'm not confident enough umpires would read a path alteration prior to the ball arriving to avoid that contact as obstruction, nor do I believe enough BR's consider that option versus running to the base with their head down.