Red Sox Lose Game Three On Controversial Obstruction Call

They say if you watch baseball enough, you'll always see something in a game that you've never seen before. It happened in game three of the World Series last night. Few have ever seen a baseball game end on an obstruction of the runner call. No one has ever seen a World Series game end that way.

It had umpires and Major League Baseball officials alike, scrambling to the microphones after the game to explain the call to bewildered Red Sox fans and exuberant Cardinals fans.

There does not have to be intent. Once (the fielder) has the opportunity to field the ball, he can no longer in any way obstruct the runner." -- John Hirschbeck, World Series Umpire Crew Crew

Intentional or unintentional...(the fielder) just has to clear a path. I know that sometimes it's unfair because he (Middlebrooks) was laying on the ground. but that's the way the rule is. -- Joe Torre, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations