Joe Torre, Hirschbeck, Joyce all sat down for a post game interview and a reporter asked the question about Craig being inside the baseline. The answer was basically after Craig stood up from his slide on the second base side he was turning, tripped,and then right on top of the chalk. Hirschbeck followed that with, remember that the base runner establishes his own baseline, and then uses an example of rounding the bag really wide.
Bottom line, the path from third to home is established by the runner, not the chalk line. I did some digging and the only time there is an established baseman is if the runner is trying to avoid a tag.... Then it's three feet on either side of the bag.
What I found interesting about all of this is that although Joyce called obstruction, Demuth could have chosen to not apply it if he had thought Craig didn't have a legit chance of scoring, but since the throw and runner were so close he gave it to him.
So it's black and white what obstruction is, but judgement call as to whether or not award the runner the next base.
Also Joe Torre's comments were interesting...... He is pretty firm that it's was the right call based on the rule book, but admitted it was unfair in the situation in that Middlebrooks really couldn't do anything different other than leave his legs flat which was a non factor anyway.
Hat tip to the umps... Good eye. Still a crappy way to end a game.
