The play in question...
It is the one & only time the call has been made on the hp side of 3b. The rule was adopted beginning in 2024... Over 6000 games when spring training is included. As well. Another 20k games in milb.
And never before applied in the circumstance it was used on the Lewis/Churrio play.

The rule was adopted to reduce injury from an advancing runner spiking defenders. If it's now going to be applied on a retreating runner? Like I said. Every pickoff attempt at 1st base is obstruction, "by the letter of the rule". And same on most 2b pickoff attempts.

It's how baseball is taught. You don't attempt a tag play standing on the far side of the base.
Players are taught to get nearest the runner and drop the tag. Lewis was in textbook position. his far side( from the throw) foot straddling the bag. So that when the ball arrives he can drop the tag in a natural motion. If he's on the other side of the bag. The tag is delayed by reaching across 18" of bag.

The intent of the rule. To call the aggregious blocking of the bag by dropping the knee to the ground, in doing so, "blocking the bag". Furthermore. The tag is applied before the cleat of jc reaches the bag/ foot of Lewis. If lewis' foot were to be considered an extension of the bag. The tag is still applied ahead of the runner. And Churrio dives for the bag in one continuous motion. He doesn't adjust his foot/leg placement/angle at any time bc the bag is obstructed by the foot of RL. And the final killer is. The umpire Jordan Baker is not in position to see the full play. His view is at minimum partially obstructed.

It's a judgement call, and it's poor judgement.

It's like a holding call I once got called for. I was playing the. The play design was for me to block the outside lber. Seal him inside. The lber side stepped as I can at him fast. Forcing me to use a cross body block. When the rb was 3- 4 yards past. I used the lbers arm to pull myself up off the ground. The play was long past us. And the lber wasn't pursuing. But the lber yelled to the back judge, "hey ref, he's holding".

Yep. By the letter of the rule I was. I grabbed a player, no longer involved in the play. Used him as leverage to get up off the ground. It was a judgement call for the back judge. He threw the flag. And a 1st down run got called back for holding. Was it the right call? To this day, I think it was chickenshit gamesman ship. That lber. Bobby Thompson was a friend of mine. He used to chide me for that play the rest of our high school years. Laugh about how he dumped the ref.

At a minimum. The MLB rule should be reviewable.

In the end. I'm fine with it. The play was likely 1 more variant to the equation of Royce Lewis getting optioned to St. Paul. The next day, Lewis whiffed the short hop on a likely inning ending double play.
Milwaukee goes on to score 4 unearned runs in the inning. The winning margin... On top of it. The prima Donna known as Royce Lewis was hitting .161.
Yesterday he got his option papers.

Marginal defender with an obp below the mendoza line. He deserves to be in milb. That said. The chrio play was text book solid defense. For a guy struggling in the moment with his confidence. I wonder how he couldn't help but to feel like the victim of a "kick a guy when he's down" moment. For Royce Lewis sake. I hope he uses it as ammunition to unlock the talent he once possessed.

For you az. You're just being a troll.
" Letter of the law"? Yes, meant to be applied to prevent injury on stolen base attempts.