Obstruction

Question
I am a new umpire and have a question on obstruction.  A batter hit a ball that was a single but may have been a double. However, I do not think the batter would have made it. Anyway, as the batter rounded first base, he ran into the first baseman. I did not call obstruction and the batter just stayed at first. Was that the correct call? Is this a judgement call?

Answer
Neil,

It depends on the ruleset the game were played under. The most popular are OBR (Official Baseball Rules), the ones used by MLB, and FED, the rules used by high school baseball. Most rec and travel leagues use OBR, with some modifications for safety and allowing more participation.

If this were a high school game, the runner is always awarded at least one base beyond his last legally-acquired base. Therefore, he would have been awarded second base, whether you felt he would have made it or not.

If this were an OBR-based game, it depends on the situation. OBR has two types of obstruction: Type a (or Type 1), in which a runner is obstructed while a play is being made on him (this usually happens during a run-down); and Type b (or Type 2), in which a runner is obstructed when a play isn't being made on him. These can be read in the OBR rules book (available on MLB's website: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/foreword.jsp) at rule 7.06.

In Type a obstruction, the runner is automatically awarded at least one base, similar to the FED rule. In Type b obstruction, the runner is only awarded extra bases if the umpire feels those bases would have been obtained if the obstruction had not occurred.

In your case, it appears to be a Type b Obstruction, since no play was being made on him when he was obstructed. Therefore, no base awards are mandatory. So, if you felt the runner would not have made second base if the first baseman hadn't obstructed him, then you don't have to award him second base. You do have to remember, though, if the obstruction caused him to be thrown out at first base (say he was knocked down enough for them to throw to first and tag him), then you can award him first base because of the obstruction.

In short, it was the correct call -- if you were using the OBR ruleset. And, in any obstruction, there is some judgment in deciding what base the runner would have obtained. Sometimes you could judge the runner would have advanced two or three bases, yet the obstruction caused them to advance less.