Interfence with Umpire
 

Maybe this has been discussed before, but it seems to happen every so often:

Play is being made at the plate or it's a long fly ball down the left field line which could be fair or foul by inches. Umpire lines up TBX ready to make the close call right where he wants to be, when the batter or preceding runner gets in the way of making the call (example: ump's moving to his right to follow the throw and LHB's standing there, or the RHB leans over the baseline just as the balls about to land near the left field line partially blocking the view, or some other such).

No obstruction and no interference of the play itself, just interfering with the umpire's view, which makes getting the call right just a whole lot harder.

I'm assuming there's nothing that can be done other than telling the view-obstructing/blocking player not to do that again (and maybe explaining to the HC why you weren't able to get a good look at the play or ball).

Do what you can to get angle make your call.

Stuff happens.

Do the best you can. Benefit of any doubt goes the other way.

I have gently touched many a catcher and pushed by them to get a look at a ball down the line. Another issue is a runner who has scored or the on deck batter, who are acting as a base coach near the plate, getting in your way.

+1. Gotta do it sometimes.

I agree.

What is batter who just hit long fly ball down the line doing standing there watching?

I tell them loudly to move out of my way. Same as I would do if a base coach was in my way when I'm making a call at 1st or 3rd in three man. I would never tell a coach that I could not get a good look at it. No way on a scoring play. You're opening your self up to alot of trouble on the next close call.

So in the example of the OP, what would you do?

I would work like hell to get the best look I could. It is my job to do that and I would never tell the coach that I couldn't. For plays at the plate, you have to adjust and adapt to the play as it unfolds. Start at the point of the plate and adjust, don't plant at 1bx or 3bx and get blocked out.

What I stated in my post and what Bob said in his.

Happy 4th of July. God bless this great nation.

Do the best you can to move your feet to get the view you need. On high fly down the line I don't usually line up TBX for that, I move up the line to get better view.

Retweeting this!