re: Are the red sox players retarded or just delusional?

It was obstruction both by order of the rule as well as perceived intent (by Middlebrooks). Middlebrooks made a clear attempt to left his feet up after he first had them down on the ground. When I saw it live, I said "game over" before Craig ever got back to his feet.

Just a bad play by Middlebrooks not realizing that Craig is already slow... now injured... and they had a decent shot at him without the obstruction.

It would have been a really tough call for the umps if Middlebrooks wouldn't have lifted his feet up and Craig still stumbled with Middlebrooks laying in the basepath.