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I'm with Dan all the way on this one. I saw obstruction when I read it the first time.
IMO, too many fielders are blocking the base when they have no right, or need to. Some of it is deliberate; much is simply inexperience or poor technique. The best way to stop it is for the Blues to start calling obstruction.
In my world, if you haven't got the ball, you don't belong in the basepath. Because I believe that "about to receive" is basically negated by the "ball is closer than the runner" interpretation, I fall back on my 3-step rule.
1. If ball reaches defender before the runner does, than legal to block.
2. If runner reaches defender before the ball does, obstruction.
3. If both get there at same time - train wreck and let the play run it's course.
In rule #1, if the defender has to right to block the path, then any contact by the runner, other than a legal slide, is interference. Even if it is accidental, or incidental contact, you have to protect the defender and call the interference. Otherwise you can have a dropped ball, or runner advancing on a defender that may be unable to make a secondary play. The automatic out and runners returned is a strong penalty to the offense and sends a message.
In rule #2, unless contact is vicious (malicious, intent to hurt, etc.) I will allow the contact and stay with obstruction. If coaches complain, the response is automatic: "teach your players to get their butts out of the basepath when they don't belong there!"
Rule #3 is the tough one. If you don't call obstruction or interference, then you are going to have one side screaming at you. If you let it go, and you have two players on the ground, and the ball rolling around, and the runners taking more bases, and the collision runner still hasn't made it to the base, and and and - what-ever happens after that is going to create a ruckus.
It is interesting that, on the play to 1B, if the ball gets there first you call OUT. If the runner gets there first, you call SAFE. And there is no TIE!
Maybe it should be the same on blocking the base. Call the I, or call the O, but don't just waffle and call it a wreck.
WMB
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