E180 - Pickoff Obstruction Gets Alex Cora Ejected by Alan Porter as Grissom Blocks Buxton @ 2nd Base

3B Umpire Alan Porter ejected Red Sox manager Alex Cora for arguing an obstruction call by 2B Ump Dan Merzel against F4 Vaughn Grissom in Boston, who lowered his knee without the ball ahead of the throw to block Minnesota runner Byron Buxton. Report: www.closecalls...
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Obstruction Type 1, especially on pickoff plays, is a point of emphasis for the 2024 MLB season. Fielders are to be called for OBS if they block access to the base, such as with an extended leg or knee placed in the runner's base path, without the ball and not in a legitimate effort to field the throw. The fielder IS allowed to block the base when the fielder already has possession of the ball as well as when the fielder is occupying that space in a legitimate attempt to field the throw.
In this case, second baseman Grissom blocked the base with his leg without the ball and without needing to occupy that space (e.g., leg blocking the runner) in order to field the throw. That is obstruction. U2 Merzel did not initially call this, but the umpires met and he changed his call to OBS Type 1 after crew consultation. Cora was ejected for excessively arguing the changed call and then for good measure appeared to bump crew chief Porter before pushing him out of the way as Cora tried to get to Merzel. That runs afoul of the rules of baseball.