OBS called on fielder in possession of the ball

[beerguy55]

Happened in a game I was watching.

R1 with two out, ground ball hit to F4 - ball is fielded about 20 feet to the right of 2B, right on the path between first and second - runner is less than ten feet from F4.   This is 12/13 yo level.

F4 turns away from the runner, because that's what they do at that age.   And runs to second base to touch the bag.   So for that 20 feet you have F4 running to second not even looking at the runner, and R1 following by about three feet - R1 is faster than F4 and slows up rather than try to go around F4, avoid the tag and get to the base.

Ump calls OBS.

Coach argues that F4 had the ball, simply chose to tag the base rather than the runner.  Umpire called it "a classic case of obstruction".

Who's right?

[Replacematt]

8 minutes ago, beerguy55 said:

Happened in a game I was watching.

R1 with two out, ground ball hit to F4 - ball is fielded about 20 feet to the right of 2B, right on the path between first and second - runner is less than ten feet from F4.   This is 12/13 yo level.

F4 turns away from the runner, because that's what they do at that age.   And runs to second base to touch the bag.   So for that 20 feet you have F4 running to second not even looking at the runner, and R1 following by about three feet - R1 is faster than F4 and slows up rather than try to go around F4, avoid the tag and get to the base.

Ump calls OBS.

Coach argues that F4 had the ball, simply chose to tag the base rather than the runner.  Umpire called it "a classic case of obstruction".

Who's right?

The coach is. 

By the letter of the rule, a player in possession of the ball can never be guilty of obstruction. By interpretation, a player with the ball can be guilty of it if they do something intentional and unrelated to making a play on a runner (tripping, for example.)

[Guest NJ Coach]

admittedly, i am not an umpire or a rules guru...but that seems like a ridiculous call..what's next...a fielder with the ball chases a runner back to a base gets called for obs too ?

[noumpere]

39 minutes ago, beerguy55 said:

Umpire called it "a classic case of obstruction".

 

It's a classic all right.

[maven]

1 hour ago, noumpere said:

It's a classic all right.

He'll be here all week.

[noumpere]

5 minutes ago, maven said:

He'll be here all week.

Reminds me of the punchline:  Tri-weekly; try, weekly; try, weakly.

[beerguy55]

3 hours ago, noumpere said:

It's a classic all right.

haha - I promise you, he said those exact words.  Imagine Strother Martin in Cool Hand Luke..."what we have here is a...classic case of obstruction" - that was this guy.

Even the two base coaches were shaking their heads, couldn't believe the gift they just received.