Normally, I'd be elated after a Cubs sweep over the White Sox last weekend on the South Side. Call up a few of my friends, tell them to put on their cut-off t-shirts and pout away. But the White Sox are a pretty poor excuse for a baseball team this season, so anything less than a sweep would have been disappointing.
I do feel obligated to pass along the impressive display of Homerism by Hawk Harrelson. Let it be known, that in small doses I actually like Hawk. Stretch! Put it on the board! and He Gone! are among my favorite calls in baseball. But yesterday the bad Hawk Harrelson presented itself. If you thought there were some thick, bottle cap blinders being worn by some fans on FanIQ, you may need to re-evaluate when listening to Harrelson's reaction. The video is a little long, but it's worth it. Here was essentially Hawk's response echoed numerous times despite being informed that was the rule:
"This is absolute B.S. There should be two out and a man on second. And they've got the bases loaded and no out. Dadgum right this game's going to be played under protest."
Here's the rule that was applied, 7.06(a)
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.
Source: (Awful Announcing) (Bleed Cubbie Blue)
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