Response from E* on TBS HD

[tsduke]

No one can block any base without control of the ball. Otherwise they would! Look up "obstruction"!

When the catcher is fielding the ball he is allowed to be in the base line(block the plate). I know my baseball.

The Official Site of Major League Baseball: Official info: Official Rules

7.06
When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal "Obstruction."
If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batterrunner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction. Any preceding runners, forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction, shall advance without liability to be put out.
Rule 7.06(a) Comment: When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the umpire shall signal obstruction in the same manner that he calls “Time,” with both hands overhead. The ball is immediately dead when this signal is given; however, should a thrown ball be in flight before the obstruction is called by the umpire, the runners are to be awarded such bases on wild throws as they would have been awarded had not obstruction occurred. On a play where a runner was trapped between second and third and obstructed by the third baseman going into third base while the throw is in flight from the shortstop, if such throw goes into the dugout the obstructed runner is to be awarded home base. Any other runners on base in this situation would also be awarded two bases from the base they last legally touched before obstruction was called.
(b) If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call “Time” and impose such penalties, if any, as in his judgment will nullify the act of obstruction.
Rule 7.06(b) Comment: Under 7.06(b) when the ball is not dead on obstruction and an obstructed runner advances beyond the base which, in the umpire’s judgment, he would have been awarded because of being obstructed, he does so at his own peril and may be tagged out. This is a judgment call.
NOTE: The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the runner attempting to score. The base line belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only when he is fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand.

 

[jon_ad]

From MLB Rule Book

7.06
When obstruction occurs, the umpire shall call or signal "Obstruction."
If a play is being made on the obstructed runner, or if the batterrunner is obstructed before he touches first base, the ball is dead and all runners shall advance, without liability to be put out, to the bases they would have reached, in the umpire’s judgment, if there had been no obstruction. The obstructed runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction. Any preceding runners, forced to advance by the award of bases as the penalty for obstruction, shall advance without liability to be put out.
Rule 7.06(a) Comment: When a play is being made on an obstructed runner, the umpire shall signal obstruction in the same manner that he calls “Time,” with both hands overhead. The ball is immediately dead when this signal is given; however, should a thrown ball be in flight before the obstruction is called by the umpire, the runners are to be awarded such bases on wild throws as they would have been awarded had not obstruction occurred. On a play where a runner was trapped between second and third and obstructed by the third baseman going into third base while the throw is in flight from the shortstop, if such throw goes into the dugout the obstructed runner is to be awarded home base. Any other runners on base in this situation would also be awarded two bases from the base they last legally touched before obstruction was called.
(b) If no play is being made on the obstructed runner, the play shall proceed until no further action is possible. The umpire shall then call “Time” and impose such penalties, if any, as in his judgment will nullify the act of obstruction.
Rule 7.06(b) Comment: Under 7.06(b) when the ball is not dead on obstruction and an obstructed runner advances beyond the base which, in the umpire’s judgment, he would have been awarded because of being obstructed, he does so at his own peril and may be tagged out. This is a judgment call.
NOTE: The catcher, without the ball in his possession, has no right to block the pathway of the runner attempting to score. The base line belongs to the runner and the catcher should be there only when he is fielding a ball or when he already has the ball in his hand.

 

[waltinvt]

MLB did this to you not Charlie. If MLB was more interested in its fans than a fat check the games would be on a broadcast network not cable. Last thing we need is another stretch-o-vision faux HD channel like TBS-HD.

NightRyder

You're exactly right and I hope to hell it comes back to bit them in the ass. They've already priced tickets so far out of the reach of the average working class family and now they give EXCLUSIVE tv rights to a non-network station, that's not even available on basic cable. I wonder how many million people will miss the playoffs because of this?

Damn this sort of thing pisses me off to no end!

 

[FlyingJ]

No one can block any base without control of the ball. Otherwise they would! Look up "obstruction"! Pete Rose ended a catcher's career, who was blocking the plate, (legally, he had the ball) in an allstar game, when he ran him over. The catcher dropped the ball and he was safe BTW.

Ummm, Dish, your thinking about your local little league, I played 6 years in the minors, got to Triple A in the Royals organization.

 

[Dishlover]

Let's take first base for example, if the first baseman moves to a place to catch the ball that is in the base path and the runner hits him before the ball gets there then the runner has been obstructed. The first basemen make it obvious that they are trying to stay out of the runners way.

 

[Dishlover]

Ummm, Dish, your thinking about your local little league, I played 6 years in the minors, got to Triple A in the Royals organization.

Just because those "Pro" umpires don't call it, doesn't mean it isn't the rule. See Fitzie's post. Pro baseball is about entertaining the fans, the more collisions the better. I suppose all the players were blocking all the bases while you were playing- not. And why not, because it is against the rules. BTW the umpire didn't call obstruction- Duh! Again see Fitzie's post.

 

[Fitzie]

Despite what the rule says, Dishlover may be correct in what actually happened at home plate.

The ump waited to see if the catcher had actually "fielded" the ball, and ruled the runner safe when he discovered that the catcher hadn't. His logic in ruling "safe" would be that the only way the runner would have missed the plate (if he did) would have been because of an illegal obstruction. Therefore, the runner was safe either way: he was not tagged out before touching the plate, or the obstruction occurred and he was entitled to the base. Another great call !

Regards,
Fitzie

 

[tsduke]

Let's take first base for example, if the first baseman moves to a place to catch the ball that is in the base path and the runner hits him before the ball gets there then the runner has been obstructed. The first basemen make it obvious that they are trying to stay out of the runners way.

What's your point? This doesn't change the fact that there was no obstruction at home plate last night. That was a perfectly legal defensive play.

 

[tsduke]

Despite what the rule says, Dishlover may be correct in what actually happened at home plate.

The ump waited to see if the catcher had actually "fielded" the ball, and ruled the runner safe when he discovered that the catcher hadn't. His logic in ruling "safe" would be that the only way the runner would have missed the plate (if he did) would have been because of an illegal obstruction. Therefore, the runner was safe either way: he was not tagged out before touching the plate, or the obstruction occurred and he was entitled to the base. Another great call !

Regards,
Fitzie

Read the rule again. He was fielding the ball. If obsruction was called the umpire would not throw the safe sign(arms straight out). In obstruction the arms are thrown straight up as if a "timeout" is being called.

 

[Dishlover]

What's your point? This doesn't change the fact that there was no obstruction at home plate last night. That was a perfectly legal defensive play.

You obviously didn't watch the replay in slow motion. The catcher's foot is blocking the plate when he doesn't have possesion of the ball. The umpire was way out of position to make the call. He was blocked by the catcher. The catcher from his point of view did "everything" right (blocked the runner and the ump) except hold on to the ball. I guarantee if he had held on to the ball the runner would have been called out. Tie (close) doesn't go to the runner in "Pro" baseball. Umpires love to call runners "out"!

 

[russ222]

is this the tbs hd thread or the who gives a crap baseball rules thread????

 

[Dishlover]

Read the rule again. He was fielding the ball. If obstruction was called the umpire would not throw the safe sign(arms straight out). In obstruction the arms are thrown straight up as if a "timeout" is being called.

Again, fielding a ball doesn't allow a player to obstruct the base path. Otherwise why not set up in front of second base on a steal? If I'm in a pickle and I run into you when you're in the basepath trying to catch a throw- that's obstruction. "Pro" umpires never call obstruction at home. I can't remember the last time I've seen it called at any base and I've seen circumstances where the manager has come out to argue for it when it did occur and get nowhere.

 

[tsduke]

Again, fielding a ball doesn't allow a player to obstruct the base path. "Pro" umpires never call obstruction at home. I can't remember the last time I've seen it called at any base and I've seen circumstances where the manager has come out to argue for it when it did occur and get nowhere.

You're missing the main point. Control of the ball is NOT required in this case. Also note that home is different from the bases when it come to the obstruction rule.

 

[grb]

To each their own, personally I think watching baseball is like watching grass grow.... I would prefer less emphasis on sports HD and more on key programming in HD, movie channels, TBS, CNN, USA, SCI FI etc... but thats the wonder of opinions.... We are all entitled to one! ;0

You are the Charlie Ergen prototype of a Dish subscriber... Charlie himself couldn't have said it better!

We sports fans keep trying to change Charlie when we really ought to change providers instead. But until my contract is up I'll still keep trying...

 

[tsduke]

is this the tbs hd thread or the who gives a crap baseball rules thread????

Since E* has yet to light up TBS HD, it's the latter.

 

[Dishlover]

is this the tbs hd thread or the who gives a crap baseball rules thread????

Got to do SOMETHING while we're waiting for TBS-HD!

 

[Dishlover]

You're missing the main point. Control of the ball is NOT required in this case. Also note that home is different from the bases when it come to the obstruction rule.

How so?

 

[NightRyder]

We sports fans keep trying to change Charlie when we really ought to change providers instead.

That's the most intelligent sentence in this entire thread.:up:up:up

NightRyder

 

[rad]

Got to do SOMETHING while we're waiting for TBS-HD!

You could be calling D* and ordering service while you're waiting

 

[Dishlover]

That's the most intelligent sentence in this entire thread.:up:up:up

NightRyder

U-Verse and Comcast are upgrading my area. Whoever gives me this and my HD-RSN first will get my business. Charlie will be "OUT" at my home! I don't want to make a two year commitment with D*.