What is the umpire's ruling when a catcher blocks home plate without the ball, preventing a runner from scoring, and the runner runs into the catcher?

• A. The catcher is ejected for obstructing the runner.
• B. Return the runner to third base.
• C. The runner is declared out and ejected.
• D. Score the runner on the obstruction by the catcher and then eject him.

Answer: (C)

Blocking home plate without the ball is obstruction. When a fielder illegally hinders a baserunner, the ball becomes dead and the umpire awards the runner the base they would have reached if not obstructed. If the obstruction prevents a run from scoring, the run still scores. In this situation, the catcher’s block prevents the runner from scoring, so the runner is credited with scoring a run. There is no automatic ejection for obstruction alone, and the ruling isn’t to return the runner to a previous base or to declare the runner out. The key idea is that obstruction by the defense is remedied by advancing the runner to the appropriate base (or scoring) and the ball is dead.