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You can rule that, but you'd be completely wrong. Time of pitch is a defined term, it's when the pitcher makes a motion committing him to pitch. He's NOT committed by just coming set, that's not time of pitch. What if he steps off? R1 would obviously be allowed to stay at 2B. To say that it's F1's actions before the pitch that determines what base R1 gets to occupy before the rule book definition of time of pitch makes absolutely no sense to me.

You're right. There's not much more I can say--the rule says complete stop. That means everything must be stopped at the same point in time.

Disagree. The runner reached second before time of pitch. He keeps second base.

@Jayumpref19, a couple of other things: 1. This is not a "timing" play (which is properly referred to as a "time" play). A time play refers to whether or not a run scores before or after a non-force out is made for the third out of an inning. 2. Resist the urge to refer to runners using the NFHS nomenclature. When describing a play, R1 is the runner on first, R2 is the runner on second and R3 is the runner on third. Hope this helps.

1) As the batter and runners didn't advance on the play the balk is enforced and nothing after that happened - including the CI. 2) This is CI. Batter to 1B. R2 keeps 3B as he was stealing on the pitch.

@Rulekeep - this is a great story. Be sure and write down the sights, smells, feelings, and words. Tell how the anticipation leading up to the meeting gave you butterflies. Tell us how the sun felt on your skin. Be creative and give lots of details. That expression on your face is one of joy and elation. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Sidebar: This happens to me all the time. I'm sick of posing for pics, signing autographs, kissing babies, and turning down GLM phone #s. It's hard bein' me :D

@umpire_scott - "I have no problem laughing at myself" We have no problem laughing at yourself either :smachhead:

  Never have and probably never will.  Don't see a need.  I don't wear a cup while golfing either.  As a player the cup is necessary because you are trying to stop balls.  As an umpire I'm trying to get the hell out of their way.  I've never once been hit by a ball in a game anywhere on my body, let alone in a particular place.   now you've done it!!!

Scotty, dude, if you can't go back and read that post and say "Yep, I walked into that one", then you have no sense of humor and, further, I now understand all these problems you have with coaches. And you did have 1 helpful comment.

LL rules are designed to protect kids' arms. Seems like an awfully good idea to me in a world that is too focussed on the here-and-now and adults caring more than the kids. Pitch count rules more squarely address the actual issue than innings limits. Medical guidance also suggests that there is an issue with kids pitching and catching. http://www.asmi.org/research.php?page=research&section=positionStatement LL has tried to create rules that will provide protetion for kids, but still me manageable. They are far from perfect. But I think we should applauld LL for trying to find ways to do this, rather than simply callnig the rules stupid.

if she pulls this off though and can show us proof .......... that's flipping hilarious! I tip my cap! Sorry, you don't believe me?http://instagram.com/p/o078nVhdMw/

I actually had one. Laid it down, could not find it again.

I don't see "Moderator" anywhere on your profile! I'm done with him, anyway.

@bam @umpire_scott Gentlemen, let's all let it go. I have no opinion here, but this isn't the venue. If ya wanna continue, do it through pm. IOW KNOCK IT OFF

You know how not backing down and standing up for what you believe is mostly a good thing? Well, this isn't one of those times. Just STFU and grow a pair. You just don't know when to quit. You're one of those guys who asks for advice and when you don't like what you hear, you ask someone else until (maybe) you get the answer that satisfies your need for affirmation. Stop. Please.

Merkle was out because the ball was hit into play. With the bases loaded all runners need to advance if the ball is hit into play. This is about a BB. With the bases loaded in OBR only R3 and the batter need to advance if it's ball four or a HBP. In FED all runners need to advance.

I honestly prefer to dress at my car most of the time. My gear is always in my trunk, and it's a pain to have to get it all into a gear bag and haul it into a dressing room. If it's hot and there is no shade in the parking lot, then I would like to have a better place to get ready if it's cooler there. I definitely prefer my car to some crappy shed or tiny little bathroom. I've had dressing rooms for 4 games this year: Twice when I umpired with KFinn at UCLA in the off season Once at Angels Stadium for a regular season HS game Once for a HS playoff game In each of those cases, the dressing room was nice and spacious, with an attached bathroom. If I had something like that every time, I would probably change my tune.

SO when do we see a camo mask?

@bluejerred - so if I can't see it, it's a ball. Correct?

I wouldn't care if he was a 20+ year MLB umpire. If he is in the dugout in a coaching capacity...then he gets treated as any other chirping coach. Address the first offense.... issue warnings on the second... then when all else fails eject. Simple umpire math.

Yeah - but he spelled "you're" wrong!!!!

Thanks go out to Jim. He honored the coupon and credited my account $10. Excellent customer service! He knows how to keep customers.

"Give me a new ball. One you can F*#King see." Buh-bye.

Is there a ceremony involved? Diploma?

I JUST MET PAUL SCHRIBER AND TED BARRETT AND MARTY FOSTER AND WILL LITTLE AFTER SITTING ON FLAMING HOT PAVEMENT FOR AN HOUR WITH A SIGN THAT SAYS "I'm only here 4 Ted, Paul, Marty, and Will. #UMPFAN" Paul's face when he drove up was the absolute best. As they were driving through he rolled down the window and said "We're going to park the car and BE RIGHT BACK!!" They were as excited to see me as I was to see them.

Can't wait to get hit in the face wearing this beauty! Thanks to Tony at Mask-it Sports!!!

I am the President of my HS Association. If you all (in the OP) were in my association, and you called me about the ump/coach's behavior...rest assured, it would be taken care of immediately. Neither I, nor our board, puts up with that crap. He'd get one warning...and then he'd have to find another (paying) hobby for at least a year. During one of my American Legion regionals, a father of a player for the local team started screaming (so the whole park could hear) about a balk that he alleged the pitcher had committed and that we didn't call. Apparently, though, he didn't recognize me on the field as we are both in the same non-conference college association. When I got to the locker room after the game, the other umpires (who were from other parts of the country) started talking about the "crazy fan". I said, "I'll take care of this." Without even taking off my uniform, I got my cell phone out of my locker and called the head of that college association and told him what happened. The other umpires in the locker room jaws started to hit the ground. The head of the association said, "what do you want me to do?" I said, "I don't want him to umpire college again." He said, "done." I said, "unless he comes in to the locker room in front of the entire umpire crew and apologizes with sincerity and promises never to do it again." He said, "okay." That night I got a call from that umpire who had some tears in his voice and he admitted he had "f--ked up." I told him, "that he absolutely did." He said that the college assignor had told him that he would never work college ball again unless all 6 umpires (on the Legion crew) forgave him. I allowed him to come to our locker room the next day. He was chewed out for a few minutes by the Legion crew (that included an ACC umpire) and then he was forgiven on the promise that he never yell, as a fan, at an umpire again. True story. These things can be handled.

First MLB game ever OMG. It didn't feel surreal at all. I felt totally natural and at ease. I think this is where I want to spend my career. So in reference to the title. Erasmo Ramirez come onto the field "Dad, dad, look!" Justin Smoak comes up to bat "Whoo, go Justin!!!" Austin Mahone concert begins "ALRIGHT!" Umpires walk onto the field. "OH MY GOD THERE THEY ARE MOM MOM MOM MOM LOOK LOOK THERE WALKING UP TO HOMEPLATE LOOK THERE THEY ARE!!!" "Who?" "The umpires. I LOVE YOU GUUUUUYYYYSSS. DAD DAD DAD DAD LOOK IT'S WILL LITTLE!!" (Whom I caught a very sexy shot of while he was stretching. ) "TED BARRETT LOOK!!! AND PAUL SCHRIEBER!!! OH MY GOSHHHHH" No joke. I had a lot of fun. I've been told I can meet the crew tomorrow. Seattle won, 7-5. The field was much smaller than I thought. Austin Mahone is crappy live. Danny Farquar is deaf. And The Chop is disturbingly powerful. Special secret: I was wearing a Braves shirt under my Mariners jersey and when the Braves were leading I took off the jersey and was a total traitor. :D

MUNY/MSBL game - I was the youngest person on the field by at least 10 years. First time working this age group, so I was a bit nervous about working a game where the players were older than me. Nothing too interesting to report, which I suppose is an accomplishment in itself. Multiple guys in my association warned me about this league/age level and I was prepared to take a decent amount of crap, but things went pretty smoothly. One pitch that I definitely want back: a 1-2 curveball that crossed right at the batter's waist. He took a step toward the dugout and I balled it. Next pitch was a fastball down the middle that the batter swung right through. So no harm done by missing that pitch, but I had a consistent zone throughout the game so that one really bugged me. A few other borderline pitches that I questioned myself on after calling, but no grumbles from either side about them so I guess I got them right for the most part. Partner is an Air Force vet who's been umpiring for almost 30 years. He seemed pretty skeptical when he found out how old I am (22) and how much experience I have (this is year 2), but it seemed like I won him over pretty quickly. I'm finding that because my association is relatively small and most of the guys have been umpiring for at least 10-15 years, working with newbies seem to make a lot of the guys nervous since they're used to working with familiar faces. I've also found that simply acting professional and asserting control of the game from the first pitch seems to go a long way in convincing my partners (and coaches who are unfamiliar with me) that I know what I'm doing (for the most part) and can be trusted on the field. Overall, awesome experience. Both catchers were great, the two teams knew each other so there were some fun conversations between batters and catchers throughout the game, and my zone and mechanics were the most consistent I've had them all season. Feeling pretty good about this one.

This was a problem a few years back in a 2009 LAA vs Yankees playoff game, Mike Napoli cost John Lackey many strike calls because he kept obstructing the umpire, kept calling balls until it got fixed

Wouldn't a true "camo mask" be... a face?

Play somewhere else then - where the league doesn't care as much about safety.

Two tricks / tips that I was given by fellow umpires in those situations related to Timing and "Projection". As I've said many times on here, I spent the majority of my ballplaying life as a catcher. When I transitioned to Umpire, I had several "bad" habits to break, one of them putting myself in a crouch nearly as low as the catcher in front of me! The past few years, I've become very much "at home" with living in the slot, and my partners have noticed it and been complimentary. It was through this U-E forum that I learned (and of course applied) the concept of taking a slight step back and raising up a bit if you're blocked out by a plate-hugging batter or a close-quarters or large-framed F2. For those extreme instances where even that doesn't help, a MiLB-trained umpire partner advised me to: A) definitely utilize Timing, and take an extra moment to process the snapshot you now have over where the pitch ended up. B) use "Projection" – put yourself in the batter's shoes. If you would have swung at that, in your (relatively) prime ballplaying days, then it probably was a strike*. * Let me add this qualifier before @Jocko reads me the Riot Act – I'm talking those borderline pitches where you can see the batter flinch because he realizes he let a greaser go by, and is hoping you don't bellow "Strrrriiiiike!"

....just like your humor on here Rolando You hurt my feelings again!!! You're an umpire. You don't have feelings.

Happy Birthday to our leader, owner and founder of this amazing site, Umpire in Chief, Warren Workman!   Happy birthday sir, and thanks for providing .......... THIS!!  

....just like your humor on here Rolando You hurt my feelings again!!!

<br />Sale didn't GO through. <br />So are you the UE Police or the grammar Police! He wanted to be a telephone operator when he was a kid, to say "Your call didn't go through, please hang up and try again".

I'm assuming their is a pitch count in this league also, I'm also betting those pitches dont get wiped away when junior gets HBP. Count stays, new batter.

@JimKirk thank you for your PM

Foul ball. Determined by the location of ball at time of the touch by fielder Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

All right, all right. Perhaps certain accommodations can be allowed for distances, and I'd not suggest 9 year olds ought to have to hold runners. on, but some of this crap gets ridiculous. Every sanctioning body and local association seems to think they have to re-invent the wheel. Not to worry, anyway. My wife just broke the news to me last night...it's highly unlikely that I'm going to become Emperor of the Universe anytime soon:(

Find a style that fits your personality and your physical stature (and, somewhat, the expectations in the league). Don't try to copy some MLBer.Good point, I'd do what most guys here do(tear the phonebook) but it feels weird because Im left handed and because of that it feels unnatural to me

Yes -- but if the ball is contacted by the basket not in the hand it's displaced equipment. Ball contacting basket = nothing. Fielder intentionally contacting ball with detached basket = award, depending on the status of the ball. Runner must legally touch hell.

Perhaps a fanfare of trumpets? I don't care if you are a fan of fair strumpets. The strumpets have no place at a youth baseball game. Oh -- never mind.

I have a three step cool down process. 1. Remove equipment and clothing. 2. Water-Cold 3. Beer- Cold! (Most important step) Just sayin'!

Oh yeah, and did I mention...? http://instagram.com/p/o1HK9jBdPC/

Priceless pic. You are a true Umpfan. And a blessed teenager to have parents that let you indulge your interests like this one. Remember to hug and thank them for making it possible. Great story, topic, post and pic. Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

I'd prefer a recliner that I put behind the plate. A couch invites people like @JaxRolo to take a seat next to you.

For our newer members:   Umpire-Empire.com has its own personality and its own personalities, and it can be overwhelming to the uninitiated. To help you get started here, we’ve created this cultural primer. This is a small group. The world of umpiring is not a large segment of the population, and the subset of umpires that frequent this board is even smaller. This group has everything from members that have been on various boards for the better part of two decades to people like you just coming on board. Because of this: Some relationships on this board are longstanding, and have the ups and downs of connections lasting that long. There are inside jokes that predate this board, there are ongoing discussions that get rekindled every now and then, and unfortunately, there are also grudges. There is a higher-than-normal rate of posters who know other posters in real life. There’s a significant chance that there are posters here who know you in real life. It is up to you how much of your background and personal information you want to share. Just beware, details can be pieced together—if you want to have some level of anonymity, keep that in mind. So, if you post things about partners, remember that very partner may be reading it, and figuring out that it is about them, and thus who you are. We are a diverse group with diverse personalities. Do not assume malice when there is a disagreement.  ​Some folks are in their first year officiating kiddie ball Some are current or former professionals, and most are in between. We even have (shudder) coaches here.  Our members ages range from 13 to ... well lets just say "very experienced"  As you frequent the site more you will get to know some of the personalities of our members so being more active (even if just reading) will help you put the personality context behind the post.  Because emotion cannot accurately be read into posts consider using a smilie/emoticon to help relay the emotion you are trying to convey. We have hundreds of smilies which you may find helpful.                     Some members will go out of their way to state their experience, others don’t. Some may be exaggerating or not telling the truth. You can decide for yourself how credible individual posters are. Umpires do not become successful by being overly sensitive. The more-experienced umpires are where they are because they are direct in what they say, are able to take criticism, and don’t suffer fools well. What may seem as an abrupt, rude, or condescending statement is most likely simply terseness or conciseness. If you think something may be out of line, please take it up with the person who posted it via PM, unless it is egregious enough to be moderated.  Because of the fraternal nature of our group, don't take offense to little jabs in the ribs. Even if that little jab crosses the line, just like when umpiring, sometimes you just have to let that personal pop shot go and not respond. There are a variety of styles that posters use to answer questions. Some will quote you the proper rules chapter-and-verse. Some will hint at concepts so you can try to find the answer on your own. If you don’t get an answer in a style you find helpful, please ask for clarification or additional help instead of getting in a huff. Remember that aside from that minority of trolls that are found on every board, everyone is here to help and be helped. People generally don't post here to waste time or get a rise from others--they have something substantive to say. You can neither dictate nor predict how threads will develop. You may start a thread asking about proper mechanics in a particular situation, and it will turn into seven pages on whether jackets should be tucked or untucked. We understand that this can be frustrating if your question hasn't been answered. If that happens, please feel free to reiterate what you are asking (our members are generally good at self-policing this.) If your question has been answered, just go with the flow. Also, understand that just like a face-to-face conversation, a topic may drift into several salient points that you hadn't considered each with its own set of relevant facts and opinions. If you feel a topic has swayed too far off topic, notify a Moderator. They may be able make the side-bar its own topic The search function is your friend. Please use the search function, if possible, before posting questions. Because of the characteristics  mentioned above, some of our more seasoned posters have heard the same questions hundreds of times and can be somewhat gruff in answering them. It may be difficult to find the proper terms to search on, but please give it at least a cursory try. For All Members Rules to live by: When starting a thread, please use as descriptive a title as possible. This not only helps you get the right answer from the right people, it also helps others down the line when they want to find answers about similar concepts. Similarly, in your posts, list the relevant rule set(s). There are differences between them that may play a role in developing the correct answer. Words mean things. In each rule book, there are definitions for words, and these definitions are important. We avoid using terms loosely or colloquially because that engenders confusion. If you use a word incorrectly, there will most likely be a correction. Understand why you are being corrected, learn from it, and move on. PMs work. If something goes over your head, you feel someone may have been out of line, you don’t get the inside joke, or anything in general, PM the poster in question. It’s best to keep one-on-one conversations to a minimum on the boards to allow other posters easier understanding of the threads as well as to minimize the chance of public spats. Don't assume a moderator is reading each and every post. For many years I was able to read each and every post made here. Now that task would be impossible. If you see something questionable please inform us. Re-read your posts before posting. I've confronted people about posts before and the #1 thing I'm told is that they didn't realize their comment would be taken in a certain way or intend for it to be taken the way it was. So re-read your post; you may intend one meaning, but deliver another. Give others the benefit of the doubt that what they are saying is not a personal attack and don't react assuming it is a personal comment. Never take anything posted here as the word of the Lord. Anybody can post here and say virtually anything no matter how ridiculous or true. Remember umpiring is filled with gray areas. If it weren't for this there would be no need for interpretation manuals or even this site. There are situations in umpiring where there is technically no right answer, but possibly better ways to come to a decision about handling those gray areas.  If you ask a question, be ready for responses, correct, incorrect, sarcastic ... It is often actually the weeding through all of the responses that actually help the most in deciphering and truly understanding the correct answer.  Don't go looking to be offended. If you are looking to be offended, you will find it. If you feel a poster is "trolling" don't feed the troll (reply to the post). Report the post and let the moderators handle it rather than giving the person what they may want. Just have fun This site is designed to be both informative and social. We will go off topic, we will discuss personal situations and our lives outside of umpiring. We are a fraternity, we not only support each other but like to have fun too. So expect an occasional jab in the ribs, a joke at your expense, and even some heated disagreements. These can be an overall sign of your inclusion and acceptance into the group. It does not mean you are not welcome or appreciated. Remember at the end of the day we are all on the same team. Even the members you may have a disagreement with, when push comes to shove will be in your corner. Share your accomplishments! Whether it is your local league's in house tournament or your going to Omaha you won't find a more supporting group to share your news with. For our Experienced Members:   Remember our membership changes on a daily basis. Besides the +/- 250 registered members who actually sign in every day, Umpire-Empire.com is visited by thousands of individuals everyday who never either log in or register.    I have been asked repeatedly about creating a "No Flaming Zone" for newbies. Of all the suggestions I've received over the years, this is the one I've been adamant about refusing because I believe this implies the rest of the site is open season for flaming. One of the principles Umpire-Empire was founded on is having a good environment where a rookie can get a legitimate answer from someone much more experience without the fear of being scorned or ridiculed.  Be welcoming to our new members.  Take a look at the members profile you are responding to take into consideration if they are one of our veteran members or a new member. Look at their join date and look at their post count. What do you know about their experience or personality Take that into consideration when responding  When someone asks a question If a topic has been covered ad nauseam, be kind give a brief answer and then direct the user to where it may have been covered (providing links are great). Please don't give the curt answer of it's been covered, use the search feature. Remember different people have different competency levels in using this site and the internet as a whole. Remember others may not have the same experience level as you and what you may consider simple or even a stupid question is not for them Also the person asking the question may be opening themselves up, admitting an embarrassing mistake or otherwise putting them self in a vulnerable situation. We've all been there to some extent. They're here for help so lets give them the help they are looking for. In Conclusion   Remember, that noobie who is asking the "annoying questions," uses the incorrect terms, makes seemingly simple mistakes or doesn't use the site effectively may become the next (insert your favorite member here). I was once that guy. I doubt 10+ years ago MSTaylor, @Majordave , @Stan W. , @LMSANS and too numerous other people to list who I met in similar forums would have thought then I have become what I am as an umpire and these people along with so many others I've met online have really helped develop me as an umpire. I can remember probably 8-10 years ago pretty much harassing Majordave about chest protectors for about a year. Boy I was annoying.   On the flip side of the coin, I received a personal message from a member here not too long ago who is moving up the ladder in their umpiring career and not only wanted to let me know but wanted to thank me for my role in helping them move up. This is such a rewarding feeling I want everybody to experience at some point.    So for our new members, welcome to the Empire! I hope you find the site interesting, informative and fun. For our veteran members, you have all done a terrific job in helping make this site what it is and I owe you an enormous debt of gratitude. Let's keep up the good work and not only help develop our new and future members, but new and future generations of excellent umpires.   Warren