So how is it that baserunner is picked off 1st base but is awarded
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Balk or first baseman interference are the only things I can think of.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
The first baseman stepped on the baserunner's hand as he dove back to first while reaching for the ball. The umpires hot together and decided that he blocked the base path without the ball, and called it interference. I thought it was a really bad call, but it is what it is.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Thanks. That was the Arkansas Friday night game.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
You can certainly block the base or plate, either one, with the ball or if making a legitimate attempt to field the ball. Bad call.
Rules on blocking the plate or a base have changed. If it was okay for the first baseman to block, the umpires wouldn’t have made the call.
The rule in college baseball is that you are not allowed to impede progress to a base until you have possession of the baseball. By rule, the runner diving to a base and making contact with a defender without the ball is interference.
You are simply wrong and the umpire made a bad call. The base or plate can be blocked in both college and major league baseball if
A. The fielder has possession of the ball or, and this is the important one
B. The fielder is making a legitimate effort of fielding the ball and it takes them into the path.
The call was that he blocked the base before in the act of fielding, not that he blocked the base period. It was a bad call.
Yes, explained it incorrectly...again, you are both wrong. The rules are very clear. From the NCAA Baseball 2021 rulebook:
"Note 2: On a play at the plate or any base, the catcher or any defensive player must
clearly have possession of the ball or be in the act of fielding before blocking the base
with any part of the defensive player’s body. The base line belongs to the runner and
the fielder should be there only when fielding a ball or when they already have the
ball in their hand or glove."
That’s what byrdman said. Bottom line, the first baseman, whether intentional or not, was blocking the base before he received the throw. The replay showed that. The umpires huddled and saw that
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Anyone got an actual video replay of the incident? I would imagine the call made has to do with how close the 1B actually was to "fielding the ball" when he blocked the path.
That's exactly right...that's a judgment call...you could logically argue that just by being part of an active play that a player is "in the act of fielding" but obviously that isn't the intent of the rule.
I was confused and doubtful but after seeing the replay a couple of times felt the umps made the right decision. Isn’t all this back and forth about a play quintessential baseball? I love this game
A runner must be allowed a path to the base. If not a fielder could effectively screen a runner from the base and prevent the runner from ever touching the base. It was a good call
Don't have a replay of it available myself. What happened was that there was a bad throw by the pitcher on the pick off, which took the first baseman across the bag to catch it. That is when the bag was blocked.he even fell over the runner making the catch so I'm not sure how they came to the conclusion that he blocked the bag before being in the act of fielding.
His foot was blocking the bag. Doesn’t seem fair considering what you described is accurate. He didn’t seem to deliberately block it. His momentum from the errant throw caused it from what I saw
Everything you just said is correct. This is why it should have been an out. Reaching for the errant throw was the act of fielding to which I have been referring. Unintentionally blocking the base because your momentum carried him to that spot is legal because that is the act of fielding.
To me the difference is the ball being there and the player putting himself into position before the ball gets there. Honestly, I need clarification from the rules makers. There are good points being made to call it or not call it.
Defensive player must possess the ball before blocking the base. If that player has the ball in possession then the player can block the path with the ball to make a tag. If that player does not have the ball in possession when contact is made then the defensive player is obstructing/interfering.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
Dude...relax. The act of fielding is very much a judgment call. Technically, he can be in the "act of fielding" standing there waiting on the throw to get to him (think of a 2B standing on the backside of the bag when waiting on the DP ball). More often than not it's going to depend how close the throw was to the fielder's glove when contact was made.
I'm not excited and I understand what you are saying. That is not what I am referring to. I am referring to the multiple posts that people keep putting saying verbatim "the player cannot block the base unless he has the ball," which is simply not true. Either way, I'm done now. This is why I typically just read and don't reply on forums.
One of the great things about this game. You have a number of very knowledgeable people who can’t agree on the rules. Makes for good conversation and debate
Obstruction is committed by a defensive player. Like the 1b in the play y'all are talking about. Interference is committed by an offensive player.
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
That same Blue didn't ring up an ODU player the following inning and he went further.
Many people have explained the rule. The umps got together and called it. But you can't accept the call. The defensive coach didn't protest the game because he knew the rules. If he thought they were not applying the rule correctly, he would have played the game under protest. He didn't, game over, move on
So many of these things are judgement calls. If there were cameras there and they huddled, they most likely got it right. Umpires have their own way of judging things through their own eyes, it can differ from umpire to umpire.
My son got called in HS for obstruction when the runner hit a gapper into RF. Tried to turn it into a triple, son was lining up for the cutoff, threw the runner out by 10-15 feet. No contact with runner, but umpire said his movement in lining up for the relay caused the runner to "break stride". Seems similar. No contact, playing the ball, but it was still called obstruction.
My son got called in HS for obstruction when the runner hit a gapper into RF. Tried to turn it into a triple, son was lining up for the cutoff, threw the runner out by 10-15 feet. No contact with runner, but umpire said his movement in lining up for the relay caused the runner to "break stride". Seems similar. No contact, playing the ball, but it was still called obstruction.
Many people have explained the rules incorrectly. You all keep claiming the base can only be blocked with the ball, which again, is not true.
Michigan definitely got the first down in the bowl game too. Umps/refs always get it right after talks with coaches. My mistake. Carry on. Don't worry, you can respond and have the last word if you like. I'm logging out of this now.
We get it. The entire baseball world is wrong. Those who are paid to administer the rules, the broadcasters, the coaches and everyone except you. The runner must be allowed a path to the base. If you could block the base, just take a fielder and place him along the first base line. If a runner comes to first, just block him until you can get the ball and tag him out. That would keep runners off base. If you don't hit it out of the park, you don't score. Brilliant !!!!
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