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5 replies

Obstruction at home?

Ryno23Ryno23100+ posts
R3 is breaking for home on suicide squeeze call. Pitcher makes a fake pick-off move to third and has him hung up. Pitcher attempts to "herd" him back to third but R3 breaks for the plate. In the meantime, the catcher has moved down the line away from plate approximately 3 feet. The pitcher makes the toss to the catcher, but it's low & short hops slightly. Catcher drops to one knee to catch the low throw but doesn't handle it cleanly. In the instant after the throw is mishandled R3 slides into the catcher, but is unable to get to the plate. The catcher picks up the ball and tags the runner who still has not made to the plate.
What is the correct call? Is there judgement involved here?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.
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SA S. Abrams100+ posts
Interesting...even though the he was in the act of catching the ball but mishandled it. I guess the new ruling (what about the train wreck where the catcher steps into the runners path trying to catch an errant throw)stems solely on possession, not the fact the catcher was in the correct spot to field the throw. 3 feet up the line isn't far at all...where does avoiding contact by the runner play onto this.

What's the call if the catcher catches the ball but looses it from contact with the runner during the slide, then picks the ball up and tags the runner? Does the fact he dropped the ball cause an obstruction call? Where does judgment from the ump factor in or is that out of the equation under the new ruling?
D dash_riprock1,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by S. Abrams:
Interesting...even though the he was in the act of catching the ball but mishandled it. I guess the new ruling (what about the train wreck where the catcher steps into the runners path trying to catch an errant throw)stems solely on possession, not the fact the catcher was in the correct spot to field the throw. 3 feet up the line isn't far at all...where does avoiding contact by the runner play onto this.

What's the call if the catcher catches the ball but looses it from contact with the runner during the slide, then picks the ball up and tags the runner? Does the fact he dropped the ball cause an obstruction call? Where does judgment from the ump factor in or is that out of the equation under the new ruling?

The runner cannot contact the catcher illegally. That hasn't changed. But if the fielder (without the ball) does anything to hinder the baserunner, it is obstruction. Malicious contact (crashing the catcher even if he was blocking the plate or baseline without the ball) supersedes obstruction.

In your second sitch, it would not be OBS unless the runner resumed his quest for the plate and the catcher hindered him before picking up the ball. The ball coming loose from legal contact with the catcher legally blocking the plate does not cause OBS.

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