Let It Be
 

Made 2 obstruction calls in a game today. I feel a lot better about one of them.

One in particular I'd like some comments on.

R1 stealing 2nd. F4 sets up 4 feet in front of 2B smack dab in the basepath to take the throw. As R1 approaches and the throw is about to be fielded R1 slows down because of F4's presence. I'm thinking I've got an impeded runner. Throw arrives, chest high, a tag, I call OBS and put R1 on 2B.

Now given the 4 feet in front of the bag location of F4, in all liklihood, if F4 had attempted to stay out of the basepath, she could have fielded the throw and still made the tag. My partner, who is one of the best, said that when the runner is esstntially dead meat (which he thoght was the case) I should just let the OBS go. I guess he was more sure than I was that the runner would have been out any way. Are there some OBS situations where I should just let it be? Comments?

The other situation occurred as we were awaiting the first pitch. Somehow a dog runs thru the dugout and onto the field 1B coach tries to grab the dog but the dog runs around him. I called OBS on the coach and awarded the dog 2B. Really happened. I feel better about that call.

Mike

You have answered your own question here. You said that in your opinion F4 impeded the runner without possession of the ball. That is the definition of OBS as far as I know!

On your 2nd OBS, it's a dog eat dog world on the field so you should have let them play on and made no bones about it :D

I like the OBS call here. Your partner cannot know 100% that the runner was dead meat because he/she slowed down due to the OBS. By calling it you protect the runner and hopefully F4 learns to stay off the basepaths without the ball.

Good call, your partner is wrong in this case, as described.

That is actually irrelevant as to whether the OBS should or should not be called. Its only relevance is to which base will be awarded. Dead meat or not, the runner is not out.

As I explained in the rest of my sentence.

The OP stated that his partner would not have made the OBS call because the runner was dead meat. This is not correct. Whether the runner is dead meat is irrelevant to whether the OBS call should be made. Your sentence that I responded to made the argument that the partner could not know whether the runner was dead meat. Whether or not he could know this is also irrelevant. That's all I was clarifying.

dogs like dead meat.
Sorry... trying to "up" my post count :D

Looks like
1) guessing an out
2) only caring about "42"

So do I... particularly grilled dead meat! ;)

I got a skunk I killed last night. Where do I send it?:D

People have given the essence of this, but I wanted to call it out more clearly. As I understand it, if in your judgment the runner wouldn't have gotten second, you are not supposed to give her second. Send her back to first and get ready for a discussion with a coach.
________
Vaporizers

I have two pounds of ground venison in my freezer. Can anybody say "chili?"

Is it "stinkin' to high heaven?" :D

question for you guys n gals.
Is there an option of putting R1 back on 1st if you call obstruction on F4 and in your mind as BU, before the obstuction occurs or not, that the runner was " Dead Meat".

I'm on my way over right now. Venison is the best meat. Ever. Period.

Certainly.

In every case, the award for obstruction is the base they would have earned if not obstructed. The exception is when forced to advance (not the case here). If she would not be safe at second, return her to first.

The issue you will have selling that is if the play is bang-bang; you almost have to assume she was hindered enough to award the next base. If dead out, certainly you can return her.

A friend of mine who went bow hunting last weekend was telling me that he likes to take venison steaks, cut them thin, and then bread them and fry them like a chicken fried steak. He swears that you will never eat anything finer in your life. I am going to try this next time, I think.

Yes, that is correct. It also seems like taking the dirty end of the stick if the runner was as close as in the OP. A runner would have to be a long, long way from the base for me to send her back.

Now see, that is exactly how I understand the rule is written, however, I do not think I would have realized that without you noting it here. For some reason I forgot that was an option when we started talking about the play happening in the vacinity of second. Thank you for the reminder.

I did not think about returning R1 to 1B when I ruled OBS. Then after the game I realized that that would have been an option. However I think that there was a chance that R1 could have made 2B w/o the OBS, maybe only a 10% chance, but nonetheless, a chance. Given the play being in the vicinity of 2B and the "chance" I'm happy with the 2B award.

What bothers me most is that my partner, who thinks that I shouldn't have called OBS, is my Commissioner and HS game assignor.

It's 7 AM, and I'm already hungry. Thanks! :p

GOD I love venison!

The original free-range, organic meat.