OBS in MLB
 

FYI ....

was watching SportsCenter this morning and saw a MLB ump call OBS on a runner caught in a rundown between 3B & HP. I've never seen it called in MLB altho I'm sure it does now and then. Only weird thing (compared to our game) was that the PU killed the play immediately and made his award - is there such a thing as a delayed dead ball in MLB?

Several years ago...and this had to have been before the famous Richie Phillips debacle...I saw Tim Tschida do a delayed dead ball on an obstruction call at third base against the Mariners. It was pretty obvious but everyone was dumbstruck...many had to wait until the newspapers explained it a couple days later. That is the only time I recall seeing it in MLB...I do, however, know someone I can e-mail to find out if you really wanna know...

3afan,

You do realize that the MLB obstruction rule is different than the rule for most softball rules sets, don't you?

But the announcers seemed to explain it just like ASA.

no - thats why I was askin' ....

From MLB.com, Official Rules:

7.06
When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal "Obstruction."
If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batterrunner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction. Any preceding runners, forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction, shall advance without liability to be put out.
Rule 7.06(a) Comment: When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the umpire shall signal obstruction in the same manner that he calls “Time,” with both hands overhead. The ball is immediately dead when this signal is given; however, should a thrown ball be in flight before the obstruction is called by the umpire, the runners are to be awarded such bases on wild throws as they would have been awarded had not obstruction occurred. On a play where a runner was trapped between second and third and obstructed by the third baseman going into third base while the throw is in flight from the shortstop, if such throw goes into the dugout the obstructed runner is to be awarded home base. Any other runners on base in this situation would also be awarded two bases from the base they last legally touched before obstruction was called.
(b) If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call “Time” and impose such penalties, if any, as in his judgment will nullify the act of obstruction.
Rule 7.06(b) Comment: Under 7.06(b) when the ball is not dead on obstruction and an obstructed runner advances beyond the base which, in the umpire’s judgment, he would have been awarded because of being obstructed, he does so at his own peril and may be tagged out. This is a judgment call.
NOTE: The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the runner attempting to score. The base line belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only when he is fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand.

OBR and MLB have two types of obstruction, commonly named after the respective paragraphs describing them in the rule Mike posted above.

Type "A" obstruction- when a play is being made on the obstructed runner and the ball becomes dead- is described in paragraph 7.06(a).

Type "B" obstruction- when a play is not being made on the obstructed runner and is a delayed dead ball- is described in paragraph 7.06(a).

FED baseball is even different than OBR and softball. There you have only one type of obstruction, a delayed dead ball and a minimum of one forward base awarded.

Just another one of those sticky rules umpires have to keep separate if they work multiple sanctions.