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Old Wed Jul 02, 2003, 10:26am
Dakota Dakota is offline
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Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Twin Cities MN
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Quote:
Originally posted by Duke
What is the proper call when an obstructed runner is put out?
Do you call the runner out, time, then safe on obstruction?
If the obstructed runner is put out beyond the base she was being protected to, then she is just out, live ball, play on. I just throw that in there to be more complete in the answer...

In the situation presented, if the obstruction had been called, it is a delayed dead ball. Suppose the runner had been tagged out at home (as it sounds like she may have been - at least in stripes opinion!), then the call is DEAD BALL, RUNNER SAFE ON THE OBSTRUCTION, and return other runners to their last base (actually the rule of thumb is they should be placed on the next base if they were more than 1/2 way to the next base at the time the ball was declared dead).

EDITORIAL REMARK: This complete call (obstruction, safe on the obstruction) is much preferred to not calling it and then letting it slide with a SAFE call. Even though the result of THIS play is the same (or nearly the same, depending on other runners), the result on the game is not the same. The defense thinks they can get away with stuff, and the offense thinks the umpire is not protecting the runners from obstruction.
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