Obstruction??

[ronald]

I find it hard to determine what base to protect a runner to at the time of the obstruction. One needs to gauge the speed of the runner, how fast fielders get to the ball and if fielders bobble the ball picking it up or crash into each other. This all affects one's judgement.

Mike, we have to look at the runner and the ball in the outfield to make a judgement on where he would have gotton. I do not know how we could make this determination if we only look at the runner. We have to see the play sometime.

I'm sure the umps were trying to get some guidance on how to rule this but IMHO that advice is faulty in this instance.