24sdad

Good post and exactly how it should be handled. And like Bam said, if YOU go to him, you are telling everyone I think you f'd up. He made the call, its his job to own it.

Rangers' runner nods "yes" to whatever Washington asked him and then Wash does the 180. "Were you out?" Nod. 180 back to dugout. "Were you safe?" Nod. 180 back to dugout (don't make sense) "Dinner tonight?" Nod 180 back to dugout (Better go make reservations!) Agree with Jax - 3BLX does not put a sliding body between you and tag/touch of plate. Edit - posted at same time with Rich and agree on second replay.

In my area, we do this regularly and pregame it all the time. Had a situation occur last season in a big spot in a tourney game. R3, 2 out, RH batter. Curveball in the dirt hits near the front of the RH batter's box and bounces to the 3rd base side, (behind the bater) and past the catcher. Ball missed the batter's front foot by a good foot. Saw it all the way. R3 scores on the WP. Here comes my partner from C, walking in, hands up, "That hit him! Hit him in the foot!!" Now what? I know it didn't hit him, the batter knows it didn't hit him, and the OM sure doesn't want a HBP. I called my partner over and said, "ARe you 100% sure? I saw it hit well in front of his foot?" He says yeah, it hit the dirt then his foot. I know it didn't but what am I supposed to do? Argue with him? I called the HBP. Wasn't easy calming down the OM. I gave him a lot of rope though, after all, I agreed with him... So my question is, how would you guys handle this? What can you do? Tell the OM, "see that guy standing out there in the blue shirt? That is who you need to go chat with because he made the HBP call."

Congrats Bumps

Its his first post, cut him some slack. Welcome to the site Chad.

HS varsity game today. Had both teams a couple times this year and the HC of the home team tends to whine a little about stupid stuff. Had to explain to him a month ago that a bounding ball's position as it passes third base determines fair/foul, not when his third baseman fields it fifteen feet behind third. On to today. The HC's team is on defense with R1. Runner is stealing on a high and outside pitch that the batter swings and misses. Batter's momentum takes him into the area between the box and the plate and his upper body is probably over the inside corner. F2 moves up and out to receive the pitch and makes an unobstructed throw to 2nd where R1 is called safe. I'm watching the action at the plate and have no interference on the batter as I give a safe signal. HC comes out a little and says the batter interfered with his catcher's throw. I told him F2 had a clear throwing lane and I had no interference. F2 walks back to me from in front of the plate and says "good call blue, I made a s#&tty throw." HC moves back to dugout and says one last time his F2 was interfered with and I cost them an out. As F2 squats down he says, rather loudly, "would someone check the baby carriage!" My partner and the batter start cracking up. I'm standing there scratching my head thinking "baby carriage? What is he talking about?" Then the light bulb clicks on and I start to chuckle behind my mask. F2, without turning around, says, "good one huh blue...dude is always whining." Good F2's, gotta love em.

If this, and fouls at the plate, are pre-gamed (BU 100% sure before he kills it) there is no need to go to partner. This way, if BU does not call it, PU already knows he didn't see it. "Skip, no need to check with my partner, he would have called it if he had it."

Not stupid at all. Unless F7 is going to the foul line, catch/no catch is BU's. And I think you answered your own question. As PU, I am dropping back attempting to put the "touch" of F7 and R3's tag up in my sight. As soon as I have a touch, my focus is on R3 for a proper tag up, any OBS by F5 or shenanigans by 3rd BC. As I move back toward POP, I am looking to see if R3 is going, glancing at R7, etc. As PU, I probably will see the catch, but as BU I can not rely on PU to bail me out if I am glancing at R1 as the ball is dropped. So I guess, to answer your question, sure there will be overlap of both umpires. But don't always count on it.

blue23, I would advise against this. Too much can happen during your "quick glance." Remember our responsibilities - fair/foul, catch/no catch, etc. If you are not sure if you have a catch/no catch, then R1's tagging up is moot. Stay with outfielder's catch until satisfied, glance at runner (using MidAmUmp's yardstick) and just umpire. If defensive HC wants to come out and argue, don't try and justify or make excuses regarding your responsibilities. A simple, "(name) I don't have him leaving early." Limitations of two-man system and it is what it is. Your second sentence about positioning is solid advice.

And just a reminder, don't be in such a hurry to take that glance over at R1. F7 "catches" the ball, BU quickly glances back at R1's position as the crowd and dugout's go wild. BU turns back to F7 and the ball is rolling on the ground. How did it get there? Make sure the def. of a catch is fulfilled before you take that glance back.

Keep em in the box and keep the game moving. POE every year with our assoc. As you remind them to keep one foot in the box, use a "sweeping motion" with your arm directing them back in. It does not seem to be anything intentional on the kid's part, they just feel more comfortable being out of the box as they take their signs. Funny, I have never had to tell a lefty to do this, just the righty batter whose back is to his third base coach. As soon as you remind them, they typically say "sorry blue" and jump back in with one foot.

What you are suggesting is "preventative" but I would stay away from it. The only time I tell anyone about their positioning in the box is if they are illegally setting up outside of the box. I tend to take a peek at the batter's feet before every pitch and it is mostly toes hanging over the inside part of the lines. Then I wont allow a pitch until he is properly in the box. Maybe that is what you meant. Other than that, they can start where ever is legal. Obliterated lines? You can do what Noumpere suggests, especially if you have an F1 throwing pus and the OC keeps telling every batter to get up in the front of the box. Jocko, are you talking about a batted ball (bunt) contacting the B/R immediately outside the box or batter hitting the ball with a foot on the ground outside of box? With no lines, both are obviously judgment but have to be a call that is pretty obvious. Honestly, the latter will be more difficult as I am busy with the pitch at the time.

If you don't speak/understand (to you/"about" you) the language how do you know the 2nd and 3rd paragraph. That's what I am asking. If they are in the field and the 2nd baseman says "Gibberdy gibberty spanish gibberty" to the shortstop, I couldn't care less. If there is a close pitch I call a ball and the DM says "GIBBERT GIBBERTY SPANISH GIBBERTY!!!" in my direction, that needs to be stopped with a "If you need to say something to me, you need to say it in English." Google translate says that the first one could be something like "Tengo segundos si roba la base!" and the second could be "Eso fue una huelga, azul!" I agree with DumbDumb here. If you tell the HC he needs to speak to you in english, of course his response (in english) is going to be "I wasn't talking to you" while everyone who does habla is snickering and having a good ole time at what was actually said. Unless its "put your hands on top of your head," "drop the knife" or "driver's license please" I have no idea what is being said (sorry, all I remember from the academy 30+ years ago). I have had F6 and F4 communicate their coverages to each other in spanish...who cares? But when comments are directed to me is spanish, that is chickenSH*#. You have something to say to an umpire, man up and say it in the language they understand. All they are doing is playing to their players and fans knowing that most of the time they can get away with it.

Carolina, in the literally thousands and thousands of games I have witnessed since I was a yonker (Big Jake reference), I have never seen it called with this mechanic. I have seen a few vids at the pro level of this being called, but not with this "sweeping" mechanic. Like I said, I like it as it communicates very well as to why the out call was made.

Adopted

Aggie, If I understand you running lane violation description, "straddling the line a bit" to me means he was out of the lane when struck by F2's throw. Kill it immediately and bang him out. Of course the HC is going to bitch about the call, but it is a call that must be made. Batter's box - only you know, but sounds like the HC may have got into your head a little. Were you tracking the pitch or watching where the batter was standing? With no batter's box lines, how do you know he was completely out of the box? Again, you were there so maybe you had more information at the time than what you posted above. Like you said, both batters did they exact same thing. One was ok and the other out. Kind of a hard position to defend. Why was your partner involving himself with the HC prior to an EJ? Maybe coming to get the batter out of there, but the HC is yours. HC told you he didn't agree with the call, you explained it to him (hopefully stating at contact batter's foot was on the ground completely out of the box), now its time to get back to playing. Inform HC he needs to go back to third base box, the discussion is over and its time to play.

Second base umpire James Hoye calls out R1 following a pick at first and subsequent rundown. The mechanic he uses (fielder off the base) clearly communicates to everyone why R1 was out. Is this what others (you) use? In the past when calling this, I have pointed at the runner, given the out mechanic while announcing "out of baseline." http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_04_12_lanmlb_arimlb_1&mode=video&content_id=26232553&tcid=vpp_copy_26232553 Quite honestly, I don't know what the proper mechanic is for this call.

Quakes stadium in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Now home of the Single A Dodgers. Worked six man crew during the North/South HS all star game last year. First time I ever left the field following a game and did not have to clean my shoes!

mjr, HTBT certainly. But to me the deciding factor is the kid puts his bat out there as F1 starts his wind-up. OBR defines bunt as "a batted ball not swung at, but intentionally met with the bat and tapped slowly within the infield." Fed defines bunt as "batter does not swing to hit the ball, but holds the bat in the path of the ball to tap it slowly to the infield." Irrespective of his hand position on the bat and the two strike count, I think you have a bunt attempt as opposed to a foul ball following a swing.

Have a great day Rich!

Michael, good catch. Yes, it was a quick "cut and paste" and I did not even notice the foul tip exception. JM, good clarification.

Mike, if I am your BU and this happens, come to me with "did he go?" There is no way the little booger picker held the bat completely still and from 60+ feet away, i can bet you I saw movement, thus an "offer" at the pitch. I'll get a strike for you brother. Don't. ...cause it's cheating, right? And takes away from the integrity of the game, right? And it's just, well, not right, right? Rich, Rich, Rich...my attempt to come to my brother's aid through the use of whimsical exaggeration eluded you, right?

James, welcome to the site. Lots of good guys here and good information. Where in So Cal are you? If you are close to where I am (Inland Empire) I can hook you up with a guy who assigns most LL and PONY in these parts.

FED 2-28-4 A pitch ends when the pitched ball: a. is secured by the catcher, b. comes to rest, c. goes out of play, d. becomes dead, e. or the batter hits the ball (other than a foul tip).

Thats not the catch and carry rule. He has to get entrely in DBT for it to apply, not just "touch any part" Agree with noumpere, the fielder has to step with BOTH feet in DBT, or fall into same.