Runner forced off of legally attained base

[ilyazhito]

Baseball has a "God rule" (8.01c, in the new OBR), similar to the football rules for unfair acts, where the umpire can rule on issues not explicitly covered in the rules. This is a perfect example of such an issue. Obstruction is an act that impedes the runner in advancing or returning to a base, but forcing someone off a base is not defined in the rules. However, the obstruction penalty would be appropriate for forcing a runner off his base, because the runner is denied the opportunity to stay on the base, return to it, or to advance. 8.01(c) could be used to justify this intepretation.