OBS Type A + B & Dead-Ball 3K

[CricketChapman]

In a whacky 15U Babe Ruth (OBR mod) game today, I had all of these occur.


1.  R3.  F2 throws behind R3 and R3 is caught in a rundown.  After F5 throws back to F2, he stands still directly in the runner's basepath, forcing the runner to clearly deviate his path and run around F5.  "Time!  That's Obstruction!  You (pointing at R3) score."

2.  Bases Loaded.  Grounder to F6's right and he tries to go to third for the force.  The throw beats R2 by several steps, but F5 completely misses the catch and the ball rolls to the fence.  F5 then looks at his glove (I suppose to see if he caught the ball), and R2 contacts F5 while trying to round third.  "That's obstruction!"  Inexplicably, R2 then just stops and starts walking toward home (I'm not sure if he was confused about the OBS or maybe he thought F5 caught the ball?).  About halfway, everyone yells at him to run and he goes into a jog and then a sprint.  The throw to F2 beats R2 by a good 15 feet and he the tag is applied for the out.  "He's out."  The hindrance at third was minimal (certainly OBS, however) and no protection was awarded since he was thrown at by 15 feet because of his own actions (See the Tejada play from the 2003 ALDS).

 

3.  2 strikes.  BR fully swings at an inside pitch and the ball hits his hand and rolls 15-20 feet toward first in foul territory.  "Time!  That's a strike; the batter is out."  I had to clarify that one to the manager, but he understood after a brief explanation; it also helped in determining HBP/Foul that BR immediately starting shaking his hand and saying "Ouch!  Aww!  Geez!"


Just another day on the diamond.

[maven]

1. Good call on type A OBS. Dead ball, score R3. Same result if he had been obstructed going back into 3B.
2. 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.
3. Good call.

[noumpere]

 

1. 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.

 

You'd think they were old enough, but in a varsity game I had F3 OBS R1 on a botched pick-off  and no one really understood why I let R1 advance to third.

[SoCal Lurker]

 

 

1. 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.

 

You'd think they were old enough, but in a varsity game I had F3 OBS R1 on a botched pick-off  and no one really understood why I let R1 advance to third.

 

 

Nor do I without more info -- was it because the ball got away and, in your opinion, but for the obstruction the runner would have made it all the way to third?  (that seems like a stretch to me, but obviously depends on the field and where the ball went -- or am I missing something?)

[noumpere]

 

 

 

1. 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.

 

You'd think they were old enough, but in a varsity game I had F3 OBS R1 on a botched pick-off  and no one really understood why I let R1 advance to third.

 

 

Nor do I without more info -- was it because the ball got away and, in your opinion, but for the obstruction the runner would have made it all the way to third?  (that seems like a stretch to me, but obviously depends on the field and where the ball went -- or am I missing something?)

 

The ball got away; R1 advanced to third during the play. They wanted him returned to second.

[grayhawk]

 

 

 

 

1. 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.

 

You'd think they were old enough, but in a varsity game I had F3 OBS R1 on a botched pick-off  and no one really understood why I let R1 advance to third.

 

 

Nor do I without more info -- was it because the ball got away and, in your opinion, but for the obstruction the runner would have made it all the way to third?  (that seems like a stretch to me, but obviously depends on the field and where the ball went -- or am I missing something?)

 

The ball got away; R1 advanced to third during the play. They wanted him returned to second.

 

 

Where do they get this stuff?  Is there an island of misfit coaches that I don't know about?

[Replacematt]

 

 

 

 

 

1. 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.

 

You'd think they were old enough, but in a varsity game I had F3 OBS R1 on a botched pick-off  and no one really understood why I let R1 advance to third.

 

 

Nor do I without more info -- was it because the ball got away and, in your opinion, but for the obstruction the runner would have made it all the way to third?  (that seems like a stretch to me, but obviously depends on the field and where the ball went -- or am I missing something?)

 

The ball got away; R1 advanced to third during the play. They wanted him returned to second.

 

 

Where do they get this stuff?  Is there an island of misfit coaches that I don't know about?

 

 

More like a continent.

[SoCal Lurker]

 

 

 

Where do they get this stuff?  Is there an island of misfit coaches that I don't know about?

 

 

Is this a new bumper sticker?

[maven]

That would be some bumper...

[Richvee]

 

 

 

 

 

1. 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.

 

You'd think they were old enough, but in a varsity game I had F3 OBS R1 on a botched pick-off  and no one really understood why I let R1 advance to third.

 

 

Nor do I without more info -- was it because the ball got away and, in your opinion, but for the obstruction the runner would have made it all the way to third?  (that seems like a stretch to me, but obviously depends on the field and where the ball went -- or am I missing something?)

 

The ball got away; R1 advanced to third during the play. They wanted him returned to second.

 

 

Where do they get this stuff?  Is there an island of misfit coaches that I don't know about?

 

It never ends. JV game today. R1, hit and run line drive caught by F7. Airmails the throw to double up R1 OOP. Coach can't understand why R1 gets 3rd. 

[Jimurray]

• 15U I'd probably rule it the same as you: they're old enough to know to keep running. Certainly at higher levels. We can help here by not screaming the OBS call (not saying you did, just saying), but continuing to point to communicate that we saw it.  Lower levels, I might consider scoring him to nullify the OBS.

You'd think they were old enough, but in a varsity game I had F3 OBS R1 on a botched pick-off  and no one really understood why I let R1 advance to third.

 

Nor do I without more info -- was it because the ball got away and, in your opinion, but for the obstruction the runner would have made it all the way to third?  (that seems like a stretch to me, but obviously depends on the field and where the ball went -- or am I missing something?)

The ball got away; R1 advanced to third during the play. They wanted him returned to second.

 

Where do they get this stuff?  Is there an island of misfit coaches that I don't know about?

Where do they get this stuff? More than likely from a previous game. Where an "umpire" ruled this way or that way. Coaches only go by what they see ruled in games. They are, of course, most of the time, ignorant of the rules and protesting because they had a play that was called differently or they didn't understand what the call was actually. but occasionally you have a fox who knows what the rule is but is counting on you being one of those guys. There is also an island of misfit umpires. They do great damage.

[Richvee]

 There is also an island of misfit umpires. They do great damage.

Yep. They let a few of them off the island this year to work with me.