Stealing runner keeps going...
 

Hypothetical situation to help me with possible obstruction call:

R1 on 1B. Left-handed hitter batting. Defense deploys 3 infielders between 1B and 2B and F5 playing in the usual position F6 plays in.

R1 attempts to steal 2B, and F5 covers the bag to take the throw. As we often see, the fielder straddles the base and awaits the throw.

The play at 2B will be close. At the last instant, R1, realizing that 3B is unoccupied, decides not to slide into 2B and tries to step on the corner of the base and continue to 3B. The ball arrives at about the same time and hits R1 in the leg. As she turns toward 3B, she clips F5's foot. R1 stumbles, loses her balance, and finally falls about 10' past 2B.

F6 who was backing up the play retrieves the ball that deflected off the runner and applies the tag while R1 is attempting to get up.

Comments? Thanx.

Obstruction, F5. Dead ball when R1 is tagged. Award R1 3B.

Agree with the Mafia man....:)

Obstruction, F5. Dead ball when R1 is tagged. Award R1 2B. (no way she was gonna make 3rd base safely..ok maybe, but doubtfully)

As the defense had no one covering 3rd, there is a very good chance she could have made that base, so, I am going to agree with Mike on this one.

From the way it is described, there is no way that the OBS was "possible," it just plain WAS.

I was mostly wondering what the catch even could be. Let's see:

Runner running legally is impeded (tripped, even if inadvertantly) by fielder not in possession of the ball. Next base has no defender covering.

What's the issue? Boilerplate, isn't it? Cannot be out between these two bases!!

You might argue if pitcher or left fielder where in the process of covering that third base as an award isn't a given; but OBS surely is.

What whitey said......

...and prepare to explain your CORRECT call to an upset defensive coach. :D

As I read the post, no one was covering third (which sounds like the reason R1 was headed for 3rd in the 1st place)

Piece of cake

Steve, is you hair turning grey? :confused:

I'm enjoy my quality time with the coaches more and more. Explaining my calls to 95 % of the coaches requires minimal focus on my part. The other 5% are the fun ones. Who know the rule book. I like those coaches. We get to have some good conversations which a vast majority of the time come down to my judgement. I take them to the water and watch them reluctently drink .
I hear some great stuff from the other 95%.

Discussion with coaches:

Coach: Blah, blah, blah, but yada, yada, yada. You need to jabber, jabber, jabber and get %#*@, done.

Umpire: Thank you, Coach. Play ball.

:cool:

But some of the blah,blahs and yada's are just so dang entertaining....