How would you handle this?

[Andy]

Hypothetical question on this situation:

Two umpires, no runners on base, number of outs are irrelevant to the issue.

Batter hits line drive in one of the outfield gaps. As she is running to second, she is obstructed by F4. BU signals the DDB. She continues to run to third, then home. Ball is retrieved by outfielder, thrown to the relay, then home for a bang-bang play on the runner. PU judges the runner out.

The question is the mechanics of ruling on this play. The obstruction and close play at home indicates that the runner will be awarded home.

Is it better for the PU to call the out, then have the BU immediately come in and award home due to the obstruction or should the PU have picked up the DDB signal at the time of the obstruction and simply called for a dead ball at the time of the tag at home?

Either way, you're going to have some 'splanin to do, Lucy!!

[JEL]

I would judge that OBS on Delayed Dead Ball would protect her to 2B, maybe 3B, but protecting her all the way to home would be IMO a stretch. I would suppose though this could be a HTBT situation.

[chuck chopper]

I would assume the base umpire making the DDB signal is also responsible for overruling the plate umpire. During the play if I was the base ump I would make darn sure my plate umpire buddy saw me holding my arm out so that whatever he/she calls at the plate I might over-rule. Actually if when the runner rounded 3rd I felt the Obstruction should be dropped then I would have also made sure my plate umpire saw me "drop it" so his/her call at the plate would stand !

[Dakota]

Originally posted by JEL
I would judge that OBS on Delayed Dead Ball would protect her to 2B, maybe 3B, but protecting her all the way to home would be IMO a stretch. ...

If I am reading Andy's situation correctly, he is not arguing that the BU judged at the time of the OBS to protect the runner to home, but in addition to judging the immediate "protected to" base, the umpire should also, in my view and the way I call it, be judging "and if out by fewer that x steps if she keeps going." IOW, the bang-bang nature of the out at home is pertinent. If the runner lost a couple of steps by the OBS, and then ran full speed the rest of the way, and was tagged out on a bang-bang, it is reasonable to judge that she would have scored has the obstruction not taken place.

To Andy's question - calling the out is the PU's job. Judging the base of protection is the BU's job. I think the proper mechanic is PU calls the OUT, BU comes charging in calling DEAD BALL. Umpires conference, and PU calls runner safe. But, hey, I'm eager for the trainers to chime in here.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by Dakota


To Andy's question - calling the out is the PU's job. Judging the base of protection is the BU's job. I think the proper mechanic is PU calls the OUT, BU comes charging in calling DEAD BALL. Umpires conference, and PU calls runner safe. But, hey, I'm eager for the trainers to chime in here.

That's about it. Unless the PU and BU share telepathic abilities, the PU can only act on the knowledge s/he has. Just because s/he may have earlier in the play seen the BU's arm out, doesn't mean s/he doesn't make the call.

It is then the BU's position to kill the play, make sure all other runners are where they belong and inform the PU of the OBS call and protection. In turn, the PU should then rule the runner safe by rule. Obviously, if the BU dropped the protection prior to the play at the plate, the runner is out and the game continues uninterupted.

[Del-Blue]

As the PU on this play, I would have seen the BU with the OBS, but as the runner rounds third and I see the ball comming back to the infield, I am now getting ready for a play at home. I don't have the time or the inclination to recheck with the BU to see if s/he has lowered the arm, so therefore I will make the call at home, than look to the BU to see if the OBS was upheld to home. It is now up to him/her to finish the play.

[whiskers_ump]

Bob hit it on the head. I usually ask my partner when I notice
that s/he has signaled OBS and the play is over, "Are you
satisfied with the end result?" Since I did not make the call
I would not know or assume to know what protection s/he was
allowing
the runner.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by whiskers_ump
Bob hit it on the head. I usually ask my partner when I notice
that s/he has signaled OBS and the play is over, "Are you
satisfied with the end result?" Since I did not make the call
I would not know or assume to know what protection s/he was
allowing
the runner.

Remember, if the runner was put out, that is the call. A DDB is in effect until the obstructed runner scores, reaches the base to which they were protected or is tagged out. Since the umpire making the call (assuming s/he didn't also see the obs) is not the one with the DDB, they need to make that call to allow the play to finish.

Play at the plate.
PU: "OUT!"
BU: "DEAD BALL", make signal and check position of any other runners between bases. Place those runners and inform PU of the obstruction call and appropriate award.
Offense coach: "Hey, those guys a pretty good umps. They were all over that play."
Defense coach: "What are you talking about? He was just watching the play, the runner needs to go around."