MAKING A PLAY
Since 1900 the fielder could block the base path if he had the ball. In the OBR,
a casebook comment explains that a fielder is also protected if he is in the act
of fielding the ball: "If a fielder is about to receive a thrown ball and
if the ball is in flight directly toward and near enough to the fielder so he
must occupy his position to receive the ball he may be considered in the ‘act
of fielding’ the ball."
By custom and usage, that distinction applies to high school as well. The Federation
definition of obstruction parallels the OBR. But a 1999 case book play offers
a revision that adds "the immediate act of catching the ball" to their
definition. There has been no further explication on the Federation web site,
and I have heard no comments from working umpires that suggest a change in the
way high school umpires enforce the rule. Still, let’s keep our eyes on the
sparrow nonetheless: The FED can join the NCAA quicker than Durwood Merrill can
call out a batter on the second strike.
Bill Thurston, the secretary-editor of the NCAA, has explained the college rule
as follows: (1) If the ball beats the runner or arrives simultaneously, there
is no infraction; if the runner arrives first, the umpire will kill the ball and
makes awards. The NCAA, then, has effectively eliminated umpire judgment. In Robin
and the 7 Hoods Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, and Dean Martin sang you either
have or you haven’t got style. The fielder either has or he hasn’t got
the ball.
So the remainder of my discussion deals with high school or professional play.
Originally, obstruction occurred only during a rundown. Later, the rules prohibited
any fielder from impeding any runner’s progress around the bases. The current
practice during a hot box is to rule that a fielder is legally in the base path
if the ball has been released by another defensive player.
Game situation 1: R2 is picked off
second and heads for third. F5 comes toward second and is blocking the base path.
R2 runs into him (not maliciously), and he is subsequently tagged out. Ruling:
Depends. If F4/F6 was holding the ball at the time of contact, it’s obstruction:
Cancel the out, award R2 third. If the fielder had made the throw (the ball was
on its way), it’s nothing. While some might argue that if the runner makes
third safely, the collision is runner interference and he should be out, I believe
that’s too big a stretch. I would counsel an umpire to penalize for deliberate
interference only: Both the fielder and the runner are where they have to be and
doing what they have to do.
As an aside let me remind us all that runners are coached to "create"
an obstruction by running into a fielder who doesn’t have the ball. That’s
good baseball as long as the runner remains in the base path. Watch out for the
younger kids, though. I’ve often seen a runner chase the fielder onto the
outfield grass.
You’ll find an entire sub-culture of interpretations and rules defining what
happens when a batter-runner is obstructed prior to reaching first on a ground
ball, fly ball, or base hit. The NCAA "borrowed" their new rule almost
word for word from the current interpretation valid for the minor leagues. Let’s
save that discussion for some day when the game gets rained out in the top of
the fifth with two outs and two strikes on the batter with the home team ahead
by nine.
For now, let’s concentrate on the pivotal situation: A runner is trying to
score, and the catcher is blocking the plate.
The OBR rightly points out that the umpire’s judgment prevails. That being
so, we need some guideline to help us define how close the ball has to be to rule
that the fielder must occupy his position. Remember, we’re talking about
mere seconds and fractions of seconds.
If the throw is from an infielder in the infield, what happens, happens.
Treat the catcher blocking the plate the same as you would F5 blocking third during
the rundown described in Situation 1. Some will argue that a second baseman playing
deep must be treated differently from a first baseman playing in. I agree. If
that’s my second baseman throwing home, I’m going to bench him for not
getting the out at first.
You will deal similarly with throws from the outfield. If the throw has reached
the infield, don’t call obstruction unless it is deliberate.
Game Situation 2: R2 tries to score
on B1's single to right. The catcher blocks the plate and he and the runner collide.
The runner is tagged out. Ruling: Depends. If F9's throw has crossed the infield
dirt, R2 is out. If it’s farther away, cancel the out and award R2 home.
Myriad ancillary issues arise. A rundown requires two umpires, one of whom must
be far enough away to see the release of any throw. A plate umpire must not get
too close to the plate or he will need help from his partner about the location
of the throw when the collision occurred. The guidelines apply to tag plays at
second and third as well as at home. If the fielder in the act of taking the throw
commits an error (he doesn’t make the catch), that fact alone will not turn
a collision into obstruction.
One gripe I’ve always heard. "Carl, we spend too much time on obstruction
and interference. They almost never happen. Let’s talk about more common
rules." It’s an undeniably valid point. But we can cover three strikes
and you’re out rather quickly. More to the point, obstruction and interference,
when they do occur, have the potential to turn a routine game into a catastrophe
where the police escort the umpires of the field. The Boy Scouts’ marching
song is "Be prepared."
FED OBSTRUCTING RULES
• Obstruction Table
• Deflections
• Making a Play
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