Obstruction/Interference/Nothing???Discuss

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

I don't think you have to do that. See 5-1-1-h, 5-1-3, and 5-2-1-f

5-1-1h: calling time to inspect the ball. Relevance?

5-1-3: call time to make awards for obstruction. Does not supersede the fact that all OBS in FED is "type B" -- delayed dead ball.

5-2-1f: time is called by the umpire to make base awards or inspect the ball. Relevance?

The proper method of handling OBS is delayed dead ball and wait till the end of playing action. See this case play (different situation, cited only for proper mechanic for OBS).

Originally Posted by 2009 NFHS Case Book

8.3.2 SITUATION A: R1 and R2 are on second and first, respectively, when B3
beats out an infield hit. R1 advances to and past third toward home. In a rundown,
F5 obstructs R1. However, R1 gets back to third safely and finds R2 there.
F5 tags R2 with the ball. RULING: Umpire shall signal a delayed dead ball when
the infraction by F5 occurs. At the conclusion of playing action, he declares the
ball dead, then awards home to R1 and allows R2 to remain at third. When a runner
is obstructed, the obstructed runner is awarded a minimum of one base
beyond his position on base when the obstruction occurred.

In the OP, playing action ended with the ball entering DBT. If you kill it first, you're doing it wrong (well, FED-wrong, which might not be baseball-wrong ).

In fact, not only do we NOT bail out the defense by awarding just 1 base here, the ENTIRE RATIONALE for the ball remaining live is to allow the defense to make an even worse mistake so that the offense gets a better award. In this case they did.