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Unassisted triple play. R1 was correctly appealed for not retouching and it doesn’t matter if he was standing on 2B.

Perhaps they feel (though I disagree) that replay has obviated the need for a further level of protest.

Well if its like these schools in Alabama enter the site location do you'll end up in a pasture 15 miles from the school.

I'm not gonna defend that in ANY way, because it can't be. But let me share a few random points out there to address different issues. (I haven't been in Texas but three years, and I'm not remotely softball, so some of this *might* be wrong, but into the breech....) -- There aren't protests in Texas. At least not in baseball, so I'd guess/assume it's the same in SB. -- For the numerous "how are these guys doing championship' games (And/or "playoff"?)???" queries: given that this just happened, that was likely a first-round playoff game/series. Baseball starts the first round this week, so that would be about right. From what I can tell, there are about 100 BILLION teams that make the first round here. I feel like I'm only slightly exaggerating, given the records of some of the teams in the BB first round. And I can say that our chapter has already said it's 'all hands on deck' for round one, at least, due to the sheer numbers. Also, teams can apparently request "outside" chapters do their playoff games, so that can create body-count demands as well. And again, not saying a word about the play. Not least of which because MY first-round series starts tonight, and karma, as they say, is a bitch.

Fed Rule is 3-1c SECTION 3 BENCH AND FIELD CONDUCT ART. 1 . . . A coach, player, substitute, attendant or other bench personnel shall not: c. carelessly throw a bat; PENALTY: At the end of playing action, the umpire shall issue a warning to the coach of the team involved and the next offender on that team shall be ejected. No one is called out!

No where will you find "The batter is out when.........he throws the bat." Not even mentioned! However, if you think you have a safety issue, warn, then eject. (That's why I wear a throat guard. Been hit there more by thrown bats in LL than by pitches!) Mike Las Vegas

Sent message

On this topic of U3K, here’s what I have implemented, and consistently performed for the past six years... from when I participated in a MLBU Day Camp and subsequently relocated here to Phoenix. Every catcher older than 12 that I’ve worked with has heard how I call – or more aptly, don’t call – an U3K. During warm-up pitches, I say two simple things to the catcher. I don’t say anything about protecting me, or framing, or what kind of pitches the F1 is trying to throw; I was a catcher myself for 16 years, I’ve heard (just about) everything. The first is, “If you’ve got that last strike as a catch, you’ll hear me say ‘Caught!’. If I don’t say anything, then you’ll need to try and retire him, got it?” All those catchers affirm as such, and I’ve never had an incident where a catcher didn’t know what to do, or what the call was. The second thing is, “If you want a check-swing appeal, just say so!” Many appreciate this candor, for while most collegiate and pro catchers expect their appeal-to-BU point to be answered, several high-school age catchers remark that there are still HS PUs who are obstinate about appealing to a BU. Sure, the mechanics I use are the same as what the schools and camps teach, and what we’ve been discussing here. However, I’ve found it far more effective, natural – and less problematic – to use the vocals I do. Take Kevin’s example... you’re telling me that it’s easier to get out – coherently – both “Yes he did!” and “No catch! No catch”?! Or, if there is a called 3rd strike and F2 fumbles it, to have to truncate your 3rd strike call and launch into “No catch! No catch!” Why do we make this so complicated? Keep it simple!

I'm with you. If I wouldn't run the risk of suddenly being single for buying ANOTHER MASK, I would totally consider this.

Our Instructional Chair for OCBOA @grayhawkcreated this training video for our association. It does a good job of explaining the rule, details the intent and then has multiple video examples to reinforce the points made in the narrative. All credit to Steve for putting this together.

Why - MLB plays the "World" Series every year...sometimes with teams in the same city....Hell, for the first 60+ years of World Series play there were only US teams in the entire league. When the World Series was named (for a playoff between Boston and Pittsburgh) there were no MLB teams west of the Mississippi (OK, two teams were ON the Mississippi). Also - the first five LLWS did not have international teams.

this is ALSO why the armchair umpires go online and bash umpires, lumping us all together.

After managing all of the personalities we might encounter during a baseball game, the hardest thing an umpire has to do is make a call on something they have never seen...or perhaps haven't seen in awhile. We're umpires and we have to be prepared in any situation. I had a catcher's interference earlier this week for the first time in 4 years. The catcher's mitt went sailing which was part of my distraction. Instinctively, I did come up and grab TIME! from pure muscle memory because my eyes, ears and brain processed the sound of the bat hitting the mitt and the mitt coming off but...I got vapor lock from there. Eventually, with bases loaded I saw R3 trotting down to score and awarded the batter his base. I mean...we got the call right but, an evaluator would've deservedly crushed me because I was very late with the base award. It's nothing until we call it...and then there's what I did. I have really been trying to work on my pre-pitch mental checklist. We can't cover EVERYTHING that might be coming pre-pitch because we'll miss the pitch. And of course the danger is, anything you don't cover pre-pitch could happen and because you didn't have it on your mental checklist, you might miss it. Sometimes we miss a mechanic, a verbalization, both and or flat out kick a call. We have all been there. An umpire is largely defined by how they react in situations...to include how they recover from a mistake. Did it completely ruin their day/night? Did they continue to make mistakes? Since we know mistakes happen, what techniques does an umpire already have in place to mentally pick themselves up after a mistake? What is their body language and facial expression after a mistake? Light bulbs burn out at the Ritz-Carlton AND at the Motel6. How is that handled at each hotel? ~Dawg

Mine isn't funny but it's something I'll never regret. I called the Police. I umpired his game on a storybook beautiful day. It was Blue sky, sunshine and baseball. I know he was nine or ten years old. My memory of him is not all that clear until he came to bat. I was umpiring a kid game as a favor for my assignor. I saw the pitch that came hard at him, I cringed knowing he was going to be hit and I watched him crumple when the ball hit him square in the body. He went down and the tears flowed..... I bent to help him, and try to comfort him. His coach ran out and we lifted his shirt to see the mark the ball made. And then we saw it, it was already red and angry looking. But when lifting the shirt, I saw the other marks the angry purple bruises that only fists and adult hands can make and way too many to be accidental..... He tugged his shirt down and got up and he said he was fine. He took a moment to dry his tears and kid like ran off to first.The game, of course, was more important than his getting hurt. I was the one who called the police. I'll never regret that. His coach bought the hotdogs after the game, more to delay the departure of the team, while I called the police. I heard later he was taken out of the home and his parental abuser was charged. I heard he moved to live with relatives. I never saw him again. I wonder so much about this boy. How could anyone do that to a child. On TV now there are ads for reporting child abuse....and the reason most don’t is "how can I be sure?". I can tell you that I was, that day, and remain today, 100% totally sure. The evidence of the beatings that boy was taking left me no grey area.... I wonder if baseball was his refuge from the monster. I wonder if he is ok. I wonder if he ever knew how much he has affected my life and my relationship with my son and with the boys I umpire. I wonder if the coach and I will ever be able to meet and not talk about that day......so far its the first thing we mention when we meet after a long off season. I wonder how many others are out there. I wonder if he is happy. Best thing I ever did on a ball field?.....I called the Police.