NJ/CT "obstruction" call

[Richvee]

36 minutes ago, jimurrayalterego said:

There was no awarded base. He should have been called out

FIFY

[The Man in Blue]

I don't disagree . . . just trying to figure out how we got here. 

[Velho]

11 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

I don't disagree . . . just trying to figure out how we got here. 

"I wanted to be on TV but I didn't want to be ON TV (or social media the rest of my life)"?

[The Man in Blue]

So here is a place where maybe my logic is getting mixed up … I still have “softball tendencies” because, IMO, softball gets obstruction rules right … until they don’t.

Provision in softball: the runner CANNOT be called out between the two bases where the obstruction occurred.

I keep going back to that as the reason they placed him back at third (inappropriately in baseball).

This is also where the concept of “a free play” (like offsides in football) comes from. Astute softball coaches will send the runner knowing that they will just be put back if tagged out.

Here is where softball tried to fix that, and then broke it: because coaches would send that runner, they added a provision that you COULD ignore the obstruction if you felt it had no baring on the outcome (like this play, the out would stand).

Good concept, but they never fully reconciled the language in the two provisions to make them work together.

 

 

 

 

[Velho]

15 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

Provision in softball: the runner CANNOT be called out between the two bases where the obstruction occurred.

Yeah, it's possible U3 does softball too I suppose.

Though (1), LL greenbook doesn't distinguish OBS between baseball and softball, i.e. LL doesn't have that the above in their rule.

Though (2), until you get to postseason, the little softball games I have done are usually under USA rules (I think I have that right) and not LL rules.

[BigBlue4u]

On 8/7/2025 at 11:18 AM, Richvee said:

I do not have access to a clip, but I'm sure some saw it. Top 7, 2nd and 3rd, wild pitch, R3 scores, R2 heading into 3B is obstructed by R5, and U3 calls it. 3B coach sees this, sends R2 home, and he's out by a country mile. Next thing I see is R2 put back at 3B... and no out (or run) recorded?? Anyone else see this? Anyone have an explanation?

I have an explanation.  U3 showed an appalling lack of common sense. (Knee jerk reaction?) First, the runner was making no attempt to advance to home plate.  Second, under these circumstances, why are we going to award a runner a base at which the fielder is standing there holding the ball?  Spirit and intent of the rule.  Common sense. That being said, the crew apparently came to the same conclusion I did.  It canceled the out and returned the runner to third.

[The Man in Blue]

6 hours ago, BigBlue4u said:

I have an explanation.  U3 showed an appalling lack of common sense.

Stop there.  Adding that to my everyday toolbox.  

[jimurrayalterego]

22 minutes ago, The Man in Blue said:

Stop there.  Adding that to my everyday toolbox.  

That's a good stopping point. Otherwise we wander into MSU territory, also visited in another current post.