Obstruction - what's your mechanic?

[David Emerling]

Originally posted by cbfoulds
A suggestion: [I have not had this sort of thing happen to me, so I can't say "this is what I do"]

The "book" mechanic for delayed-dead OBS is call & signal:
"That's obstruction!" - hold the left fist closed, out away from your side.

I'm not aware of any "book" mechanic under OBR that has the umpire calling the obstruction using the prescribed FED mechanic.

The OBR mechanic is to point at the infraction and say, "That's obstruction!" ... and that's it.

But I think most umpires would understand the "left fist closed" signal.

* * *

I know when I call obstruction, I usually do not totally make up my mind as to how far I'm going to protect the runner until I see how continuing play unfolds.

For instance, in my example, if I were the BU, I would certainly protect the runner to 3rd but I may or may not protect him to the plate until I see how close the play ends up being. I'll use that as my measuring stick.

So, since the play was relatively close, I *would* protect him. But how would my partner know that? And, if my partner calls him out - how is the defense supposed to know to continue playing? Or should they be allowed to?

I think the answer might be this: As soon as the umpire who called the obstruction observes the runner being called out to a base to which he decided to protect him, he should immediately kill the play and award all other runners to whatever base they would have achieved. The standard for placing other runners is typically if they had advanced more than halfway, they are awarded the advanced base. If not, they return.

Should play be allowed to continue when an obstructed runner is put out prior to reaching an awarded base?

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

[Edited by David Emerling on Oct 23rd, 2004 at 09:52 PM]