Obstruction

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

If an umpire makes an immediate determination upon obstruction that he is going to protect the runner to 2nd base, but later sees that the runner gets thrown out by a hair at 3rd base, he must award the runner 3rd base.

This is flat wrong... although it's been said so many times on here by people at the highest levels that if you still think this is true, I suppose no amount of convincing is going to change your mind. Just know that the people at the highest levels disagree with you.

In reality, how can anyone know that an umpire changed the extent of the protection unless an idiot umpire verbalizes such? "You're right coach. Your runner was thrown out by an inch at 3rd base. However, when she rounded 1st base, I made an immediately determination, and quite obviously an inaccurate one, that I would only protect her to 3rd base. I failed to take into consideration all of the factors when making that immediate determination. I hope you accept this explanation and don't mind me calling your go-ahead runner out at 3rd base to end the inning. Please, next time, assume I will make a poor decision in my head that only I can know about and hold your runner at 2nd base."

First --- you're right that no one could know what was in our head. The only thing that makes you make the right call is something called integrity. Second --- if that's the way you talk to coaches, then you deserve the crapstorm you get afterward. I know you meant that as sarcastic and tongue-in-cheek... but if you can't explain yourself better than that, you probably don't deserve to be out there.

Honestly... if the ONLY thing that caused an umpire to determine 2nd base was the award and then realize it should be third is simple poor judgement - I really don't have a problem changing your call in your head. Similar to ruling safe, rethinking it, and realizing you botched it completely and she was out (albeit minus the crapstorm since the revision on OBS is happening in your head and not in public).

The point that you and M are missing is that "out by an eyelash" does NOT mean your initial judgement was wrong. Someone above asked the corollary and it was left unanswered. If the award should be 3rd and they don't even try for 3rd, you should still award 3rd.

Perhaps an example or two will help. After this, though, I'm done (as Irish said) pissing into the wind.

1) BR hits what appears to the umpire to be a double to right and is obstructed near first. Due to the obstruction (which F9 is unaware of), the play at 2nd ends up being a possibility so F9 rushes to make the play and flubs it. BR sees this and then heads to third, F9 recovers and gets her by an eyelash.

To your logic, she lost more than enough in the OBS to cover that eyelash - so you award 3rd. However, had there not been a play at 2nd due to that OBS, F9 likely would have simply played the ball and lobbed it into 2nd - BR would have never attempted 3rd had F9 not misplayed. The award should be SECOND - the runner should be OUT at third.

2) BR hits what appears to the umpire to be a double to left and is obstructed in a very minor way near first base. F7 fields the ball and lobs into 2nd as BR gets to 2nd - seeing the throw being lobbed, BR suddenly speeds up and sprints to third. F4 catches and gets her at 3rd by an eyelash. Again - this was a double - award should be 2nd. The out at third should stand.