1st question of the season

[kylejt]

You're going to protect one fielder from obstruction on this play. It sounds like it should have been the pitcher.

They got the call wrong, and it should have been protested.

[mbyron]

Originally Posted by kylejt

You're going to protect one fielder from obstruction on this play. It sounds like it should have been the pitcher.

They got the call wrong, and it should have been protested.

+1

My state doesn't allow protests.

[TussAgee11]

The most common way, and really only way barring anything bizzare, you get an obstruction on F1 is when we have a dribbler up the line and F3 moves into field. F1 peels off to allow F3 to field, and causes a change in stride in the B/R.

In this situation, as others have said, F1 should be protected as long as he doesn't bobble beyond a step and a reach.

Also, it should be noted that the 45 foot runner's lane has nothing to do with this call.

[UMP25]

According to an OBR interpretation, if the pitcher is hovering over a ball to see if it goes fair or foul and the BR makes contact, it's neither interference nor obstruction.

This would to make sense, because the pitcher is not actually fielding the ball (interference), and he's not totally out of the picture and irrelevant to the play (obstruction). Therefore, there's only one logical option left: no penalty either way.

[UmpTTS43]

Originally Posted by UMP25

According to an OBR interpretation, if the pitcher is hovering over a ball to see if it goes fair or foul and the BR makes contact, it's neither interference nor obstruction.

This would to make sense, because the pitcher is not actually fielding the ball (interference), and he's not totally out of the picture and irrelevant to the play (obstruction). Therefore, there's only one logical option left: no penalty either way.

I would like to see that interp. Please post.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by UmpTTS43

I would like to see that interp. Please post.

MLBUM 6.4 Example

(12) Runner on second base, no one out. Batter bunts the ball down the third base line. Pitcher and third baseman hover over the ball and let it roll down the line towards third, hoping it will go foul. The ball continues to roll down the line in fair territory with the pitcher and third baseman following it. The ball ends up rolling to third base, strikes the base, and then strikes the runner from second base who is now standing on third. Ruling: Even though the ball has technically not passed a fielder, the ball is alive and in play because the fielders had an opportunity to field the batted ball but chose not to. The runner is not out in this situation.


Alive and in play - therefore no interference, no obstruction.

[UmpTTS43]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

MLBUM 6.4 Example

(12) Runner on second base, no one out. Batter bunts the ball down the third base line. Pitcher and third baseman hover over the ball and let it roll down the line towards third, hoping it will go foul. The ball continues to roll down the line in fair territory with the pitcher and third baseman following it. The ball ends up rolling to third base, strikes the base, and then strikes the runner from second base who is now standing on third. Ruling: Even though the ball has technically not passed a fielder, the ball is alive and in play because the fielders had an opportunity to field the batted ball but chose not to. The runner is not out in this situation.


Alive and in play - therefore no interference, no obstruction.

I understand that interp, but it is different from the OP that I questioned.

According to an OBR interpretation, if the pitcher is hovering over a ball to see if it goes fair or foul and the BR makes contact, it's neither interference nor obstruction.

This would to make sense, because the pitcher is not actually fielding the ball (interference), and he's not totally out of the picture and irrelevant to the play (obstruction). Therefore, there's only one logical option left: no penalty either way.

In the interp you cited, R2 is going into 3rd while the ball is going up the line. In the other OP, both the BR and the ball are going up the 1st base line.

If F1 decides not to field the ball and obstructs BR going into first, I have OBS and will award BR 1st if the ball stays fair. If I judge that the BR interferes with F1 while he is making a play on the ball, I have INT.

My point is that you can have INT or OBS in that case, especially if there is contact between F1 and the BR.