A-Rod Fake Tag=OBS??
 

Did anyone catch the Yank-Oriole game (on Thursday, I believe) where Birds' R2 tries to steal 3B and Posada throws the ball into the outfield?

F5 A-Rod put a major fake tag on the runner, his arm movements greatly, IMHO, impeding the sliding R2 from getting up and heading toward home. Ball is in the outfield by this time.

No big whup, R2 recovered and scored easily on error. But no signal whatsoever from U3.

Anyone else glimpse this? I had an obvious type B OBS (and another bush-league ploy) on Rodski.

Ace

It's not obstruction in OBR. In fact, infielders do it fairly often. (Didn't you notice that no one complained?)

A legitimate deke in pro ball.

Saw a similar play recently in another MLB game (sorry I can't identify it precisely; the games roll one into another for me). Somebody was stealing 2B, the throw went into the outfield, and F6 tagged the sliding runner and held the tag on as he got up. The runner was not fooled.

As everyone has said, this is not uncommon in pro ball. It's just part of the game.

Did not see the play, but by your decription could very easily have been type
b.
Surprised everyone has missed this.

The "deke" isn't the issue, if Arods presence over the bag physically impedes R2s ability to pop up and advance then we should have OBS.

Good luck with that call.

Agree, I got OBS for three reasons. He has no reason other than OBS to be there and 2) it's a BS play. Grow up 3), he may well have prevented a pop-up, see 1) and 2) for additional cause-action.

Originally Posted by Don Mueller
Did not see the play, but by your decription could very easily have been type
b.
Surprised everyone has missed this.

The "deke" isn't the issue, if Arods presence over the bag physically impedes R2s ability to pop up and advance then we should have OBS.

Don't need luck, need the reasons clearly outlined im my post above. All of which I am prepared to use starting with the rule violation, ending with "Grow up" if a longer lasting "discussion" ensues.

I'm a little confused.
Are you saying, as described, that Arod has the right to impede the runners ability to pop up and move forward or are you saying that because of Arods star power you would be afraid of making the call?

Unless I'm missing something, I do not see anything against this in OBR.

Personally, I think it's a bit dirty, and just FYI, it's a major no-no in softball (ISF fastpitch).

Shmuel

See post #5 quote highlighted in blue.

Is this not classic OBS?

It depends on what is meant by the highlighted words. If the runner tried to get up and advance, and if he was physically prevented from doing so, then it's more likely obstruction. If he didn't try to get up and it was just a "fake tag" or other deke, then it was not obstruction (under OBR).

From what I'm reading about obstruction here, I think my understanding needs some "tweeking".

I had a similar play the other night where a runner was caught in a rundown between home and third. The runner was diving back to third when the third baseman "tagged" the runner without the ball. I called obstruction (and awarded home) because the third baseman physically touched the runner BEFORE the runner obtained third base.

It was actually quite strange because I was watching the play and saw the tag of the runner about 4 feet from third. I hesitated and thought, "OK the tag was made BEFORE the runner got to third so the runner is out. WAIT a second, I didn't see the ball thrown from the catcher to the third baseman. Where's the ball???" (I turn to look at catcher who clearly still has the ball in his throwing hand) Point and yell, "TIME. THAT'S OBSTRUCTION. YOU HOME."

Had a major blowup with third baseman resulting in ejection as that was the winning run of the game. The fielder said that he didn't contact the runner with any part of his body only the glove.

I was under the impression that ANY physical contact on a runner without the ball was automatic obstruction. Granted we play with OBR which allows some contact if a thrown ball is "impending", but in this situation the ball wasn't thrown.

Did I make the right call??

1. How did this fake tag actually hinder the runner returning to third? If not, why is it OBS at all?
2. Even if this is OBS, why award home? Under OBR, you'd protect the runner back to third if that's where he's diving at the time of OBS.

Michael,

Agree that it's only Obstruction if the runner is actually obstructed.

However, under OBR IF a runner is obstructed while in a rundown (taking tibear at his word), it is ALWAYS considered Type A and the runner is awarded an advance base, even if obstructed while returning to his previous base.

JM

Right you are. Not sure what I was envisioning... :mad:

Coach, so you're telling me there are situations where there is physical contact on a runner by a fielder(without ball and no impending throw) during a rundown yet no obstruction should be called?

As stated earlier, I was always taught that for type A obstruction, the easiest call in the world is if there is physical contact on the runner by a fielder. No ifs, ands or buts that was obstruction and award the next base. Was told that this is just a easy a call as a grounder that hits third or first base(fair ball).

Exactly what coach was describing. The bottom line to me is that obstruction is a judgement call by the umpire - did he hinder the runner from advancing etc.,

Just a little contact is not going to get OBS call automatically. In your rundown just by contacting the player with his glove does not make it obstruction.

But it all depends on how much contact - a player could knock a runner down with such a tag or force him to take a couple of steps outside of his intended path etc., - that could be OBS.

Thanks
David

I think that 99% of the time, contact during a rundown will be obstruction. A fake tag (or more accurately, a tag without the ball) on a runner already diving back into the base might be the exception that proves the rule.