You make the call. Umpire for the day!

[ms244]

The HU made the "obstruction" call on the batter/base runner and awarded an out against the runner that was on 1B when the play started. Our HC questioned the call as to why it was obstruction and the HU stated that the batter/base runner obstructed F3 from making a play on the ball thrown by the pitcher. He said that if the batter/base runner didn't obstruct F3 then she would have made the catch and therefore awarded the out to the base runner on 1B when the play started.

@ Umpire - "4) It isn't necessary for people to preface their comments with "it didn't matter because we won anyway." Let's just stick with the facts and not cloud rules questions with unnecessary colloquy that tends to distract from the issue at hand."

I put that in there to have an honest discussion about what happened and to show that I wasn't "crying over spilled milk". Is it necessary? Probably not but I wanted to paint the picture of trying to get information on the call made by the umpire instead of posting a thread about a bad call by the umpires. This play/call had nothing to do with the outcome of the game.

 

[ms244]

The op said that the fielder was attempting to get the poorly thrown ball, and it was that attempt is what pulled her into the batter/runners path. However, does the fact that the batters ball was caught change things?!? She was doing what she was taught, and that's to not watch the ball, and just sprint through the bag.

That was the argument from our HC. Our batter isn't going to look behind her to see if the ball is caught. She is going to run to 1B until she is made aware that she is out. That wasn't determined until after the play was over. She isn't going to potentially injure herself or another player by running into her if she knew she was already out. The HU stated that he called the batter out immediately after the catch but with the screaming players in the dugout and on the field there was no way of hearing him.

We know that the batter is out based on the fact that F1 caught the ball. The question is should the base runner that was on 1B when the play started also be called out due to the obstruction/interference?

 

[Momo'sDad]

Here is what the umpire called and then his explanation.

Batter was called out for obstruction with the 1B. Since the batter was out when the pitcher caught the ball she did not have right to the baseline and thus when she made obstruction with the 1B player, the base runner was also called out.

Our coach argued that there was no way that the batter knew that the ball was caught and had a right to the baseline to first base. The arrant throw by the pitcher is what caused the obstruction, not the batter running to 1B. Coach told the umpire that our batters don't look behind them to watch if the ball is caught and no motion of out was made by the 1B umpire so the batter continued the play as normal.

It was a weird play for sure. Personally I think that the umpire made the wrong call, but that is just my opinion. I would be interested to hear from an umpire to get the official ruling on a play like this. Hopefully I gave enough info on the play to make a decision. I tried to be as descriptive as possible.

Thanks for everyone's comments and participation. Interesting to read everyone's thoughts on this play.

I don't know how to make it any clearer than Comp already has.

As you described the play, the umpire was wrong. The retired batter-runner was still an offensive team player when the contact occurred. Obstruction is a call on the defense, not the offense.

BretMan used the perfect terms in saying that F3 moved 'suddenly and unavoidably' into the path of the runner.

 

[Jquick823]

So who won the game?

 

[Lenski]

This field didn't utilize the safety orange bases on the outside of the baseline so the runner was actually just inside of the baseline.

So the BR (who was retired at this point) made contact with the 1B in fair territory who was attempting to make a play on the ball...in fair territory. Got it. If that is the case than I call offensive interference on the retired BR since the collision occured in fair territory.

 

[mosftballdad]

A runner cannot just disappear because they are out. If the runner is making a straight line run to the base they can't be called for interference unless they make a movement to deliberately interfere with the play. The same principle applies to a runner who gets forced out at second and the defense makes an attempt at first. The runner cannot disappear from the play and if they make a move to "get out of the way" of the defense could in fact get in the way. I have always heard that the runner should continue in a straight line to the bag.

 

[Ajaywill]

So the BR (who was retired at this point) made contact with the 1B in fair territory who was attempting to make a play on the ball...in fair territory. Got it. If that is the case than I call offensive interference on the retired BR since the collision occured in fair territory.

Fair or foul have no bearing whatsoever on the OP.

There is a big difference, as far as the rules go, on fielding a batted ball vs fielding a thrown ball. A fileder is protected while in the act of fielding a batted ball. The OP was not a batted ball, it was a thrown ball.

Think about this...who screwed this play up? The defense makes an errant throw that draws F3 into the path of the retired baserunner who is doing nothing but running to first base. Why should the defense have any protection due to their mistake?

I would really have liked to see this play to make a definitive ruling, but based on what I have read so far, I got a big, fat nothing.

 

[CoachKevin]

Again OBS is on the DEFENSE, not OFFENSE, you should tell your coach if the umpire used obstruction against the offensive team to question the umpire's ability to know what the rules are.

 

[coach james]

A runner cannot just disappear because they are out. If the runner is making a straight line run to the base they can't be called for interference unless they make a movement to deliberately interfere with the play. The same principle applies to a runner who gets forced out at second and the defense makes an attempt at first. The runner cannot disappear from the play and if they make a move to "get out of the way" of the defense could in fact get in the way. I have always heard that the runner should continue in a straight line to the bag.

I agree with this. So, I'm sticking to my original post of obstruction on the d

 

[Comp]

I agree with this. So, I'm sticking to my original post of obstruction on the d

And again, you cannot obstruct a runner who is already out.