We couldn't reach a consensus on this play so I thought I would see what you guys and gals thought.


OBR-


B1 hit's the ball hard off the plate, resulting in a high bounce back toward the mound R1 looks and thinking it's a fly ball, turn's to go back to first. BR has already touched 1B when F3, just dumbly watching the play, idly steps into R1's direct path to 1B, resulting in a collision. While both are on the ground, F1 fields the ball and throws for force out at 2B.


The out call is a no brainer here as there's no way to protect R1 to second base the way this play finished. My question to you would be, do you call the delayed dead ball obstruction and wait to see what happens, or do you ignore the obstruction altogether as R1 was not entitled to return to first base with it occupied.


Tim.

I would call the obstruction, but not apply a ruling because the base was occupied. Had the obstruction not occurred, R1 would not have made it to 2nd before the throw. thus, obstruction, but no award.

How about awarding BR 1st base?

D

BR has already reached first.

I understand what you are saying here, but if you're going to call the obstruction "the obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base..." (7.06a). What I'm saying is you can't have obstrction but no award

So I think you have to ignore the obstruction and call R1 out at second.


[Edited by CJN on Jan 4th, 2006 at 11:05 PM]

OK, not "award," but protect BR to 1st.

Tomato, toma(ah)to.

Sorry, dangit!

I read the play wrong. I was assuming that the BR was obstructed.

Eye yam sew far king wee Todd Ed.

[Edited by D-Man on Jan 6th, 2006 at 11:05 PM]

R1 was obstructed. Doesn't matter that he was returning to first. Think of a rundown - doesn't matter there which direction the runner was going, so why should it here? Award him second base. First baseman learns a lesson, and BR gets first, because he was already there (if I read the posts right.).

JJ

This would be type "B" obstruction which is a protection to an advance base, if any , that will nullify the act of the obstruction.

The BR was not obstructed before reaching first base, and no play was being made on the obstructed runner. My question was more toward would you signal the delayed dead ball obstruction, or just let it go because R1 was attempting to return to a base he had been forced from.

Tim.

JJ,
This is type B obstruction under OBR. F1 is the protected fielder, so there is no interference by R1, and F1 doesn't make a play until after the obstruction occurs. A rundown is not a similar situation: it is type A--the runner is being played on, and PBUC 4.29 specifically states a rundown is type A.
So call the obstruction and subsequently "impose such penalties, if any, that nullify the act of obstruction." In this case, I would award nothing, because there was no safety at first base.

BigUmp56,
There was obstruction--call it and call R1 out.

Dave Reed

I'd ask myself the following:

Did F3 have the ball? No.

Was R1 obstructed? Yes.

Do I care where R1 was going? No.

Is this Type A or B obstruction? Well F1 is playing on the obstructed runner so it's Type A.

TIME! - R1 gets 2nd base.

If it were FED, if you call Obstruction, you had better make an award.

Ozzy:

In order to judge that this is type "A" obstruction the ball would have needed to be in flight to second base either before or at the time of the obstruction. R1 was obstructed before F1 had possession of the ball.


Tim.

Really? I never realzed that there was a time line for calling Type A. R1 is forced to 2nd in this play - he got obstructed - the defense made a play on him. Type A.

Tim may have a point. (Bolding added)

MLBUM 5.1:

<i>A play or attempted play is interpreted as a legitimate effort by a defensive player <b>who has possession of the ball</b> to actually retire a runner. This may include an actual attempt to tag a runner, a fielder running toward a base with the ball in an attempt to force or tag a runner, or actually throwing to another defensive player in an attempt to retire a runner. (The fact that the runner is not out is not relevant.) A fake or a feint to throw shall not be deemed a play or an attempted play.</i>

MLBUM 6.21:

<i>The first type of obstruction (Official Baseball Rule 7.06(a)) deals with cases when the runner is obstructed <b>WHILE a play is being made</b> on him. Examples of this type of obstruction include:

(1) Runner is obstructed during a rundown.

(2) Runner is obstructed <b>as a fielder is making a direct throw</b> to a base in an attempt to retire that runner.

(3) Batter-runner is obstructed before reaching first base on a ground ball to an infielder.

(4) Any other example where <b>a play is being made</b> directly on the runner <b>at the moment he is obstructed</b>.</i>

As the ball was not yet fielded. let alone thrown, until after the obstructon, none of the above conditions for type A were met. The fielder did not have possession at the time. No throw was being made at the time.

Therefore, it's type B

i always interpreted obstruction the same way you did Oz...

hmmm...

The MLBUM then goes on to define type "B" obstruction with several examples.

The second type of obstruction (Official baseball rule 7.06(B))deals with cases when the runner is obstructed while NO PLAY is being made on him. Examples of this type of obstruction include:

5)Any other example where no play is being made directly on the runner at the moment he is obstructed.



Tim.