Obstruction call at the plate

[grayhawk]

This happened recently in SoCal.  The base umpire was one of my classroom instructors this year:

 

 

 

[Lala]

If you take it frame by frame the runner slides in and the catcher is still reaching back across his body to get the throw.  I think they made the right call.  

[MadMax]

I was a catcher since I was 8, and that is cut-and-dried Obstruction.

 

The pitcher was in a much better position to make that play, and at any level below perhaps Minors, should be making that play. The catcher should have been backing up the incoming throw. He butts in and is already dropping the gate a good three feet to the 3BS of HP before the ball even gets there. The incoming R2 has no-where to go.

 

It's incredible (but I guess not surprising) to hear the fans go right to the "Interference" word.

 

Why was the PU so far away from the plate and at such an odd angle / position? It was a wild pitch... 1st base wouldn't be involved in any course of the play, so shouldn't he be up the 1BL slightly?

 

_Personally_, I'm a bit... disturbed (?) at seeing your BU acquaitance appearing to detach himself from what must be the DHC and the PU's fallout discourse. If it takes a team (partnership) to get the call right, then it should be a team effort to address, interact and conclude that discourse.

[Dash Riprock]

I'm getting an out on that one.

[bam]

Very excellent call.

Wish I could see the plate, he may well have been safe, anyway.

As for the positioning, where was he supposed to go? The ball went to his right, so he's got to move left. After it gets by F1 covering, I don't think it's clear where the ball went, so the complaint of "don't just stand there, do something" is lame.

[Richvee]

Great call. Fans are absolutely hysterical. Besides the inevitable interference/obstruction misunderstanding, we've got some gems here like...

1."He had the the ball"

2. "That's so not fair"

3. "Get the rulebook"

4. "You called him out" (I never saw an out call)

5. "Seriously?"

 

 

One voice in the crowd had it right...yelling..you can't block the plate without the ball. 

[MadMax]

Not to be particular, @bam, but whose is the "very excellent call"? The call of out by the PU, only to be recanted after interjection and consult with the BU? Is it the BU's call that's excellent?

 

If it's the BU's call that's excellent, I wholeheartedly agree.

 

There are many many posts on here about PU positioning, especially on plays at the plate, completely dissecting and scrutinizing the details. And all I'm questioning is why the PU is back here by the backstop, yet the Obstruction call is enacted by the BU from the area of C. I'm not saying that BU _shouldn't_ make that call, it's that the PU didn't help himself out during this sequence. When the wild pitch went to the backstop, my opinion is that PU should have stepped towards 1BL / 3BLEx. He didn't seem to take up a definite position... he just kinda went where he wasn't in the way.

 

I put my mouse pointer on the plate (which disappears during R3's slide) and let the video roll, and R2 slides a good foot or two short because he is walled off by F2 / catcher...

 

... who doesn't have the ball yet while R2 has started his slide. F2/C's position, up the 3BL, is actually what causes R2 _to_ slide, because you can't see the plate visibly.

[grayhawk]

Max, you are way off base. PU never made an out call. He pointed at the play with his left hand (mask in hand) and awarded the runner home. Also, BU did not ever make an obstruction call, either live or during their conference. He came in and told the team personnel who left the dugout to return there. He also directed the DC to his partner (who made the call) when he tried to argue with him.

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[Jimurray]

What happened to "time, that's obstruction, you, score." If it was FED. OBR it might not be obstruction pending a review of the MLB blocking the plate rules.

[Rich Ives]

I'm getting an out on that one.

 

Your kidding. The catcher dropped his leg, the runner hit it, THEN the ball arrived.

[MadMax]

@grayhawk - Then I stand corrected. The camera position isn't helping things, and I assumed (in this case, incorrectly) that he made a "hammer" out call in front of himself. Now the subsequent pointing makes sense.

 

Since there is a private consult between BU and PU, I again (incorrectly) assumed that BU had input into the Obstruction call, and that perhaps, that's where the call came from.

[Dash Riprock]

 OBR it might not be obstruction pending a review of the MLB blocking the plate rules.

Clearly not OBS in OBR or NCAA.  It's a close one in FED.

[Thunderheads]

@grayhawk - Then I stand corrected. The camera position isn't helping things, and I assumed (in this case, incorrectly) that he made a "hammer" out call in front of himself. Now the subsequent pointing makes sense.

 

Since there is a private consult between BU and PU, I again (incorrectly) assumed that BU had input into the Obstruction call, and that perhaps, that's where the call came from.

this is what I saw also .....or so it appears, but you can't see his entire arm ........

 

That's a great, gutsy FED call .... that's OBS all day long

[Kevin_K]

Another perspective on PU....

 

Perhaps he is unseasoned and is unsure of how to handle what he saw. He appears to point at the obstruction with his left hand and at the plate with his right (:21 - :26). It appears that he makes no other call. Then he seems to have a WTFJH look on his face as he addresses the coach in a black & red pullover and drifts up the 3BL toward his partner.

 

Many things point to PU not having confidence or experience on this play. Lots of things he could have done, but did not. I hope he had a productive post game w/ BU to talk about his positioning, his obstruction mechanics, and how he handled/mishandled his explanation to the DHC. His body language when speaking to the DHC also seems to indicate some degree of uncertainty as he avoids/breaks eye contact by looking toward the ground multilpe times.

 

I know that when I was a know it all greenhorn I had plays blow up on me and I wanted to find a hole to crawl into because I had no idea what the heck had just happened. Plays still blow up, but I have many tools at my disposal that experience (meaning mistakes) has provided.

 

Since it appears that the call was correct, PU will likely be much more confident the next time something like that happens, especially if BU is as good an umpire instructor @grayhawk implied and takes the time to offer some constructive criticism.

 

Just sayin......

[Replacematt]

Max, you are way off base. PU never made an out call. He pointed at the play with his left hand (mask in hand) and awarded the runner home. Also, BU did not ever make an obstruction call, either live or during their conference. He came in and told the team personnel who left the dugout to return there. He also directed the DC to his partner (who made the call) when he tried to argue with him.

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From behind, it looks like an out call to me, too.

[Jocko]

I saw him point the obs with his left hand, then indicate the run scoring by pointing to the plate with his right. Not sure how some think he looked overwhelmed or unsure. He made his call. BU just came in to corral everyone back in line, then when DTHC came to him, he (correctly) sent him to his partner who made the call. I think HP was spot on and did everything correctly. Especially how he ignored the incredulous F2 yelling at him and HC, who was obviously displeased. He looked very professional, IMO.

[Jocko]

And as far as positioning, I like the read step he took. He cleared left (properly) and as the play continued, he improved his angle while still being set for the play. The read step and lean opened the play up to him, and he nailed the call.

[grayhawk]

The only thing I would have liked to see was a bigger mechanic from PU on this play.  This was in the 7th inning and if the second runner is out, then the game is over.  HUGE situation requires a bigger mechanic, IMO.  Come up big with the point, and then get in front of the plate and make two or three exaggerated points to the plate awarding the runner home.

 

Since fans see so many umpires point before out calls, I can see why some folks might have been confused, but PU never makes anything even resembling a hammer for an out.

 

I can tell you that that both umpires are high level guys who also work college.  I thought it was handled very well by both,

[mw94]

Fed OBS all the way Great Call!!, NCAA legal play, OBR , might have violated new 7.13 ?????

[Jimurray]

What happened to "time, that's obstruction, you, score." If it was FED. OBR it might not be obstruction pending a review of the MLB blocking the plate rules.

 

To answer my own question, I think upon further review of the video that he did give a verbal but the crowd is too loud to make it out. Like Grayhawk says, maybe make it more "hugh"

[grayhawk]

 

What happened to "time, that's obstruction, you, score." If it was FED. OBR it might not be obstruction pending a review of the MLB blocking the plate rules.

 

To answer my own question, I think upon further review of the video that he did give a verbal but the crowd is too loud to make it out. Like Grayhawk says, maybe make it more "hugh"

 

 

Keep Hugh out of it.  What did he ever do to you?

[jjb]

If it's FED, it's a no-brainer OBS. If it's OBR, I've still got OBS: no ball in possession, and the throw didn't carry the catcher there (he had to reach to his left). If it's OBR, it's type A and he should have yelled "Time" and then made the call.