kwiggie

Good call Basejester! I went to the site and saw the "Make the right call" booklet for $2.00. This could definitely be a resource for the "young guys" at a very inexpensive price for the league. thanks again all you guys for the in-put it has been helpful!

There are lead offs... Thanks guys! It has been many, many years since I have been on a "small" field. Any other "small ball" advice to pass along for a 2 man system please pipe in!

Ok, youth ball umps I need help! I have been asked to run an hour long mechanics session with next years youth ball umpires (who are primarily HS ball players and recently graduated alum) and am wondering about mechanics on the small field. In our area (Sconsin) Pony league plays on a 90' base path, this is easy. Little League however plays on a 75' ( I think) base path. Do you guys work the inside of the diamond for the 75' base path or are you on the outside?

Are you kidding? Here in "wiSconsin" we don't need a game as a reason to drink pickle juice, kraut juice, pickled beet juice, belly-button sweat, etc. My boys fight over who gets to polish off the picklekraut jars with a chaser of straight mustard and 3 games of Euchre! Back to topic, I have found that regardless of temp. between DH's drinking watersports drinks and peanuts works for me. Seems to help keep me lubed and puts something easy in my gut to fill the void. I think I read on here years ago that nuts are a great source of quick energy.

OMG... BRILLIANT!!!

My concern is the "put out" attempt at 1st by F9 I believe there was 1 out. As PU I was up the line to make a call on fairfoul, catchno catch, the ball drops and a banger occurs at 1st. All infield plays are BU correct? Does this qualify? Before jumping on me and pointing out that I was closer to the call I agree, with a worse angle.

R1, R2... Short fly has F9 charging in and towards the line. Ball falls fair, is scooped and a put out attempt is made on the BR at first. Who has this initial call?

Exactly... The actual play that "did" happen this season and got me and my partner talking about a situation like this was the result of a balk call that was played out by F1.

To clarify this league's rules regarding MC. The player committing the infraction is ejected and an outouts are awarded if the MC interfered or denied a put out, runners can be put outreset as well just like an interference. Let me put more detail to this picture. F1 (RHP) takes his "rocker" step with his left foot behind the plate. B1, B3 break to advance, B1 squares. Let's say this about F1's next move: 1. F1 delivers somthing that looks more like an infielders throw than a wind up home. (Balk?) 2. F1 after initiating his wind-up with his left foot, then steps off the rubber with his pivot foot in an effort to disengage. (balk) I mentioned it in the OP, this league plays by OBR rules (with a couple of tweeks) so balks are a delayed dead ball infraction. Dont leave me hanging guys

Didn't happen exactly like this but the situation warranted a discussion between a partner and myself in the parking lot after a game this Summer that led to this senario. This Summer league plays by OBR rules but catcherrunner contact is limited to a forced slideavoid contact senario. R1, R3 on base... F1 mistakenly starts from the wind-up. Both runners break and B1 squares to bunt with a 2 ball/ 2 strike count and 1 out upon F1's first move to deliver. F1 produces a quick pitch in an effort to put out R3 (balkillegal pitch?). B1 makes an attempt at the quick pitch delivery and foul tips. R3 is dead to rights, even as F2 has to move througharound B1 to get up the 3rd base line with the ball. R3 opps to barrel through F2 and is now on the hook for ejection due to malicious contact with F2. The ball is dislodged from F2, R3 crawls to touch home plate. R1 advances to third base while F2 is regaining composure from the malicious contact. Sort this out?

OBR, team starts out with 9 players and has to finish game with 8 due to injury. Is there an out recorded everytime this batter would be due up, and if so is the injured players out recorded in his original slot or is the out recorded in the 9 hole? I could not find, I have this as a potenial situation today, I am leaving out the door in about 20min.

I was bought a 3 pc. drum kit (because Mom wanted a musician in the family) when I was 9. It sat collecting dust until after an epic "Axis and Allies" board game all-nighter ended with a buddy challenging me to play along with the song Balls to the Walls by the band Accept (1980's metal reference). Realizing that I didnt do too bad I started to take this "drum" thing a bit more seriously. Graduated in 1992, by 1996 I was in the back of a van traveling around North America initially playing 1900's metal music early on. Then getting a gig working as a full-time Rent-o-Drummer for a blues band in norther WI. Finally finishing up the bulk of my years playing, writing, and producing punk music (HELL YEAH!!!!) for the remainder of my 20 years with these guys (RATTBELLY). I am obviously on drums and the dude with the "Anglo-Fro" on guitar is my bro (even though he is a YUPPER) who started it all with me. When this journey was done the two of us established a greater regional punk act that took us to every "Dive, Ghetto, Burro, Etc, Etc" in the major cities of the lower 48. We eventually ended up owning our own fully operational recording studio LLC in Madison WI that did very well until it was time for me to move on. This fairy-tale came to an end around 2005 for me when I got domesticated by a ladyfan ... God I miss the old days!!!

My 2 cents on the rule as it is now (for what it is worth) 1. Is the 3rd to 1st fakethrow annoying... Sure it can be, but should rules be changed based on this? 2. Does it ever work? I have personally seen it work to some degree only several times @ the HSMens' League level over the course of the last 9 years. 3. Is it mechanically a legal move? yes 4. Is it by definition decieving the runner (I have debated this arguement with playersskippers over the seasons)? IMO, No... everyone in the stadiumpark coaches and players included is watching F1 make a move to third, disengage, etc. etc. become a fielder, etc.etc... 5. With that said is there an unfair advantage? No 6. Is there a saftey issue? No What is the difference between a fake to 3rd followed by a fake to 1st or 2nd? What is the difference between a fake to 2nd followed by a fake to 1st or 3rd? My 2 cents on a can of worms being opend up if the rule is changed Situation 1: B1B3, F1 makes a move (faked) to 3rd... F1 takes a step or two towards 3rd and then wheels around to make a fake throw towards 1st... Balk? Situation 2: What about a delayed steal by B1 afterduring a fake throw on B3 by F1? Is F1 now required to throw the ball to 2nd or 1st to avoid a balk? F1 can run at B1 right? So as a "Fielder" i assume (with the rule change) he now has only 2 options, run at B1 or throw to a base to avoid a balk. Will the MLBOBR impliment a distance rule that says F1 becomes a "True" fielder after achieving a distance of 5ft. or greater (completely an arbitrary distance) from the rubber gaining all rights the fielders have. With that said, during such a situation is F1 given protection on overthrows as-if he has made a move from the rubber while within 5ft. of the rubber (I can see ump-attire coming out with the "Ump's-Tape-Measure-Buddy" 2014). What if you can fake a throw to any base: This can already be done simply by stepping off before faking to first, and let's face it... if F1 is doing this he really isn't concerned with B1, he is just checking down because F2 told him to. If him and F2 are trying to put B1 in the dirt a couple of times because they just plunked him in the thigh for strutting around the bases after going yard last time at bat then yes you must throw the ball F1... just dont throw it hard and that will make B1's "tender thigh" feel even worse when the 1st base coach tells him "Hey, they are just f+@%ing with you!" ... point made. What if you can't fake a throw to any base: Well if I was a youth coach playing under OBR rules my runners would have a green light on any base anytime a move was made by F1. Situation:B2B3, F1 makes a move on B2 who I have coached to take an exagerated lead... "and B3 is off!" I will take my chances that the defense can not recieve, set up, and mechanically make one of the longest throws on the diamond before B3 hits the plate. By comparison: I was watching a NFL game 4 or 5 weeks ago were Jon Gruden was calling color commentary. The game came down to a field goal attempt with only several seconds on the clock... last play of the game at a manegable distance. Just prior to the snap the defensive coach calls a time-out, the snap fires and the kicker takes his "now" practice attempt. Gruden goes off, "That is just silly, I dont know why coaches do this in this day and age! It is such an old trick that doesnt work anyways, just let the kicker get in there in the heat of the moment and do his job... win or loose a last minute time out is simply anti-climatic, and not good for the game, I think there should be a rule against these "Last minute time-outs!" Of course for the record this is not a quote, just a summary as I remeber it, but I do know the last line to be accurate to the best of my memory. After Gruden's little rant I was bent out of shape (not sure why I took it so personal)... but it was after all a football game (that didnt involve the Pack) so I wasnt too hung up on it and forgot about it until now. After hearing on the radio the other morning about the MLB's potential decision regarding the classic 3B1B move I thought of Gruden's rant and why I disagreed with his premise. Is it prudent to have nothing but rules with absolute purpoes is major sports? Must everything be so black and white? Is there no room for savy and nuance anymore? Is a football coaches time-out just prior to a last minute game winning field goal in an attempt to freeze a kicker an ancient tactic should it be banned? How about a basketball's coach time out prior to an improtant free-throw to freeze a shooter should it be banned? Baseball at any level is unlike either of the previous two sports in that the game is not so black and white. Unlike any other sport baseball gains its popularity because the old traditions (legal or not) are being taught by the Elders to the Rooks'. The Vets teach the Rooks' about messing with opposing players, teams, and how to get away with it... without being caught by us! Yet in the same sense we all get together as offiicials and teach each other how to not get dupped by what the Vet's are teaching the Rook's, it is like an "Arm's Race" for those of us who grew up during the cold war erea. MLB needs to let this be, the 1st to 3rd move is out-dated, and uneffective for the most part. So is the time out prior to a game winning kick in the NFL, should it be done away with... no! Sports is not about theatrics, these are not thesbians on the field performing a classic Greek tragety for your entertainment. It is a game, with all the highs ans lows that come with it, that is why we watch, play, and officiate! Side note: If you are looking for a great Thesbian experience pick up "Gangs of New York" on dvd one of my favorites... funny but as a Sconi I actually understood all of the dialect of the actors...cant say the same for modern day EastCoasters... no offence Eastcoasters "Yah Der Hey!"

WITH-OUT-A-DOUBT!!!!!!!! After the game, stripping gear off on the tail-gate of my van, my partner (whom I work with a lot during the seasons) asked me "So... How long was that walk up the 3rd base line?" I replied "Very, very, very Long!." Never again!!!! I dont care it the we have to call a 2 hour delay waiting for me... I will not jump a bounding ball up the foul line ever again.

About 3 seasons ago during a HS Saturday Tourney I had to take "The Walk of Shame!" up the third base line after yelling "FOUL!" on a ball that bounded twice in foul territory up the 1B line before spinning back and hitting 1B itself on the third hop and bouncing out of play (over the fence) with runners on 2nd and 3rd. Going up the 3B line I felt like a cheap date walking home on a Sunday morning with bed-head, mismatching socks, the wrong pants, backwards shirt, one shoe, and generally feeling like I had been run around the block and put-away-wet! Thank God the team at bat was up by double digits...