Don't we all just love questions about OBS?

[tmielke]

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

One of the irritating things that my DD's coach teaches is a peculiar way of holding opposing runners on at second base. She has the SS get directly in front (meaning right in line between the R and 3B) of the runner as they come to their stop on their leadoff. The SS is about a foot away from the R. SS trails the R all the way back to 2B, keeping a one foot separation. This brings up a couple of questions in my mind.

Sit 1. As SS is trailing R back to 2B, she gets a little overzealous and bumps in to R. R may or may not show any effects from said bump, and continues back to 2B with no play from the defense. Would this be OBS or is it a HTBT to see the severity of the bump? This actually happened, with no signal from BU, during a game this week.

Could be obstruction but she is only going to be awarded 2nd. Doesn't sound like the defense obstructed.

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

Sit 2. As BU, you judge that OBS has occured and signal and announce it. However, the R commits a LBR violation subsequent to the OBS and prior to the DB. Are both penalties enforced? This is purely a product of my imagination, but I think you guys are starting to influence me to come up with bizarre, obscure plays that will probably never happen.

Rule 8.4.3b, says a runner cannot be called out between the bases in which the obstruction occurs. None of the exceptions address a LBR violation. If I had a LBR violation while the DDB signal was on, at the point of violation, I would kill the play and place the runner, 2nd in this case.

I coach as well as umpire. As a coach, if I saw this situation, I would coach the R to head back to second to get the F2 to return the ball to F1. The instant the ball was released I would have the R turn and attempt to go to 3rd. There is no way there wouldn't be contact with F6, I would make sure that there was an "attempt" to avoid contact to draw the obstruction call. If she can't make third, I would have her get in a rundown. If she makes 3rd great, if not back on 2nd would be the worst case scenario. I might chat with the umpire between innings about the obstruction rule to make sure he was thinking about it.