OBS call

[Andy]

Originally Posted by Manny A

The reason behind splitting the two in pro baseball rules is to provide for a harsher penalty against the defense should they obstruct a runner during a play.

For example, a runner caught in a rundown between third and home is obstructed as he attempts to dive back into third base. If it was one catch-all obstruction rule as it is in other organizations, the award would be third base, since that's the base he would have achieved minus the obstruction. But the MLB rule mandates an award of home for the runner.

The real question is, Why the need for a harsher penalty? I dunno. Maybe the rulesmakers felt that without it, it would lead to unwanted shenanigans by the defense. Suppose when a pitcher throws to first base to hold the runner, the first baseman intentionally positioning himself in the runner's path back to the bag to prevent him from accessing it. Calling obstruction and putting the runner safely on first doesn't prevent the first baseman from continuing to do this until, by chance, they do throw a runner out just before the hindrance takes place. Awarding the runner second base after the first obstruction violation puts an immediate end to this.

Good theory, Manny....


NFHS tried a similar tactic with their softball rules several years back...the penalty for obstruction was to advance the runner at least one base. Didn't matter where the obstruction was, which direction the runner was heading, the degree of the severity of the obstruction, etc. If obstruction was called, the runner got the next base automatically.

What happened was that umpires became reluctant to call obstruction since the penalty was so harsh. Basically, a defender had to knock somebody over in order for obstruction to be called.