jkumpire

I doubt it with FED in 5 years. NOCASE will find no opinion on their value one way or the other so FED won't mandate them, or prohibit them, just like the new extra padding covers for FB helmets. But in this no-risk bubble wrap world we live in these days parents will jiump on that new hat 15 seconds after it hits the market, especially in kids and travel ball. Ten years from now for better or worse the hats will be common, but it won't be because ruling bodies made it mandatory. Twenty years from now FED will probably mandate pitching machines for BB/SB and a cheap radar set to call ball/strikes, two bases at every base to slide in (runner gets the orange one), or take the tag play out of the game so people don't have to slide. That takes 75-90% of the injuries out of the game and saves schools money. Put in a mandatory no slide/no touch the fielder rule and all plays at all bases are force plays, and the game is as safe as it can be, almost like whiffle ball. Laywers will love it, but nonone else will. Addendum: Or, instead of padded hats, in 10-20 years baseball ruling bodies will mandate using the new improved version of the old "Incrediball" a soft pillow of a ball you can hit like a baseball, almost as far. then nobody will ever get hurt.

God's Grace, peace and healing be with you. As an older umpire, I'm hoping to get to 53 years too, but then I hope I have to get to 55 or 56 to catch you at least! Let us know what you find out.

BT, If you want them that bad they can be had for more than someone I know paid for them! The new owner is a reasonable man

PM Sent

Is there anything we can do for you other than pray, as many of us are doing?

Jax, I love my TW's too, but after two years, I'm not totally sold on them to the extent I will neaver wear leather again. This may well be because I've worn leather for almost 30 years, but TW's cause my face some irritation and I sweat a lot.

To completely answer the question in post 1: You must call time and end the play BU must give a signal on the slide play by R1 at 2B. Have your nechanically sound meeting. At meeting. What is call that was made? Was it correct? Once you solve that, you can decided who is harmed on the play. Once you know that you can award bases and call outs as necessary to rectify the error. Then you can tell both coaches and try to keep them both from being ejected, and then pray you see neither team the rest of the season.

First, to the Fed rule Book 2014 edition.... 10-3-i His duties (UIC) include those listed in 10-2-1, 10-2-2 and the following: l. Rectify any situation in which an umpire's decision that was reversed has placed either team at a disadvantage. The facts are we do not know what is called by either umpire. A. Let's assume there is a catch call by either umpire. Then a reversal to no catch, no catch or whatever. Who has been placed at a disadantage? The OFFENSE! Your options seem to be one: Place R3 on 3B, R1 on 2B and BR at 1B. You probably eject the defensive manager costing him a $100 fine, a three game suspension, and a mandatory on-line class that costs $75 dollars and must be completed before he can coach again. And it is the crew's fault, they ought to pay his fine. How can you come up with an out for the defense in this play if you have a reversed call on catch/no catch by F7? B. If you have a no call, or you have a delayed correct no catch call, then the play stands and R2 is out. If the BU or PU calls time before the force is made, then the PU has to use 10-3-l and call R2 out because if you don't then you have harmed the DEFENSE. You then wil have to eject the manager of the offense and he has to do the same thing as the ejected manager in the previous senario. You also could have a double play by R1 getting thrown out at 2B and R2 being forced or tagged. BU needs to make a call here that is his big mistake. If the PU's view has hung the BU out to dry you can fix that too! Again, the crew messed up so we do not know what they had, so you don't know for sure. It is very possible to get a DP here if the PU gets help from the BU and the throw beats R1 to 2B.. Finally, let's not grind the PU because of his gray bags or bad mechaincal position. Look at what he has to deal with with the F2 he's working behind. If F2 does this all day the zone his team gets should shrink to the size of a water pipe. We should grind the crew for how they handled the play and discussion.

Men, I have had this disucssion with people involved in the FED Rules committee over the years, and Grayhawk's quote: "I initially thought that it was to relieve a BU with poor mobility from the need to beat a fast BR to third, be in position and set for the call there." Is the reason I've been told why this is in the book. Please don't be surprised if this changes in the fairly near future, but it has been in the manual for years and years and will be a standard Fed mechanic until a lot of people think a change is needed. The 2013 change in putting the BU in B with R3/R1 came from a few members of the committee who want to see CCA and FED mechaincs the same. Maybe this change will continue to happen in the future. As an aside, I think it has has a little bit to do with SB, where this is a normal Fed and ASA mechanic (I believe). But this is my opinion alone and I have not heard it from a current or former member of the Rules Committee.

It has to go further than merely fielding the ball. Under OBR, Evans says that the defensive player must also have an opportunity to retire a runner. The whole point of the OBS call is that he did have a chance to make a putout, and instead kicked the ball right in front of the BR who is in his running lane legally to get to 1B.

kylejt, YES! AND IT COUNTS!

Manny Ramirez is available...he'd be a perfect fit I think Manny's been banned from MLB. They just haven't announced it publicly. He's 'banned' because he can't hit you from 3 feet with a shotgun in his hands. He's more done as a player than a steak at your local Golden Corral. At this point there ought to be a new league formed: The PED League. Let all the old druggies like AROD keep at it and they can play against them and people like Reoger Clemons. Many, Sammy and all the rest. Or, they could play a series against the retired pot smokers and Adderall users, probably in a state where medicinal pot is legal. People would flock in for the enterianment. Call it the Cheech and Chong series.

Thanks for the information guys, depending on the cost of the flight out and back I will end up there this year. Are their any golf courses close to the hotel?

All MLB has to do is release the evidence. Maybe it's just that I have slow timing on these things like I do on the field, but until the proof is out there who knows what to think? Sadly A-Rod is done even if he isn't suspended because he will probably hit below the Mendoza line next season if he plays. One month of hitting .185 then a pulled muscle and long DL stay will end his career, in fact, I'd be willing to bet half my Carlucci CP that if the Yankees would play him the rest of his contract he would go away tomorrow. At this point he just wants paid the rest of his contract.

Ricka56, I guess we will find out when FED explains it (see post above)

Really? It is if Fed defines it that way, but its not clear in the rule. So now a routine 2-1 pitch with nobody on that the BR swings hard at, misses and hits F2 on the back of the hand at the end of ther swing is now INF and an out? Not good in my book.

Sorry to interfere with the discussion about wasting money on a smart phone.... Now I am confused what FED wants on backswing interference. Are they really saying any backswing interference is INF on the Batter, or only backswing interference if F2 is making a play. In other words what do the words 'which hinders action at home plate' really mean?

Hi west coasters, Looks like the only NCAA clinic I get to this year is in CA. Anyone know anythign about the site, like how far away from airports and the like? Any good eateries out there? Or should I just junk an NCAA clinic this year? PM or reply here, either way!

I know it's late on this, but our good friend Fittske looks like some kind of alien from a 1950's sci-fi flick in the picture. I keep waiting for some massive light beams to come out from under his mask and fry some offenseive manager after he's ejected him...

Chad Krueter almost died from a home plate collision. He blocked the plate and walked away, but the next day while taking a shower at home he collapsed. It turns out he had internal bleeding from the collision. Get rid of that collision. There is no need for it and it is in no way wussifying the game. I don't think it is macho to hurt another player. I won't umpire MSBL just because a fifty year old man thinks it is important to break up a double play by wiping out the middle infielder. What the hell does it matter that the player may become so injured that he is no longer able to provide for his family? There is no need at all for a home plate collision. NONE! From the MSBL website: The rules committee is concerned about possible unnecessary and violent collisions that may occur with the catcher at home plate, and with infielders at all bases. The intent of this rule is to encourage base runners and defensive players to avoid such collisions whenever possible. a. When there is a collision between a runner and a fielder who clearly is in possession of the ball, the umpire shall judge: (1) Whether the collision by the runner was avoidable (could the runner have reached the base without colliding) or unavoidable (the runner’s path to the base was blocked) or (2) Whether the runner actually was attempting to reach the base (plate) or attempting to dislodge the ball from the fielder. PENALTY—If the runner, a) could have avoided the collision and reached the base, or b) attempted to dislodge the ball, the runner shall be declared out even if the fielder loses possession of the ball. The ball is dead and all other base runners shall return to the last base touched at the time of the interference. (3) If the fielder blocks the path of the base runner to the base (plate), the runner may make contact or slide into, a fielder as long as the runner is making a legitimate attempt to reach the base or plate. (4) If the collision by the runner was flagrant, the runner shall be declared out and also ejected from the contest. The ball shall be declared dead. So MLB is going to the NCAA rule,,, not a bad choice IMO

"Change is not the enemy....and it never has been." Are you sure about that? Ever heard of Barry Bonds?

Thanks for the comments so far. In MLB at least as of now,and even as the ESPN article shows these rules are wide open for gamesmanship by people, even simply like I said above about using a challenge to delay so a new F1 can get loose. And once it gets to be July or August, and there are three or four calls that people don't like in an important game, the cires will come out for more replay over more things, especially judgement calls (i.e. "that wasn't an INF ump!!!!) These rules are ripe for abuse, and it won't stop at MLB for long. Since ESPN has lots of cameras at Omaha, eventually some of that will filter down to the D1 WS, and even to D1 Baseball where cameras and networks are coverign more and more games.

I am confused about the new MLB replay rules, b/on: http://espn.go.com/mlb/story/_/id/9975837/major-league-baseball-move-ahead-instant-replay As I read about them, any and everything is up for review now, except for ball/strike, check swings and foul tips. So why do we need base umpires anymore? Anytime there is a wacker, a sinking line drive catch/no catch someone is going to question it, so why have a middleman? Just have the PU hit a button and some ex-MLB guy in NYC can look at eighteen replays of the call until he can get it right. Also with two challenges per team per game anything that is close will be replayed in a crucial situation, even if to allow the reflief pitcher an extra minute of warm-up tosses to get ready. It just seems awful to me, to all this mess 'get more plays right'. Comments?

(If this is the wrong place, feel free to move it) Last night I was sitting in my car waiting for someone to unlock a building so I could attend a BK rules meeting. Looking for something worth listening to I found an old Cincinnati tradition, the Reds Hot Stove League. Marty Brenneman seemed to be off on one of his rants as I tuned in and said this: "I quote Joe Torre, who said today that 'college baseball has a mandatory slide rule', and we are looking at changing the collision rule at home plate." Wow! I'm not disputing at all the need to look at HP collisions, and trying to ignore what Joe Torre said, but how would you change the rule in MLB, and how do you write the new replay rules to accomadate the new judgment call at the plate that will get questioned every time it happens? Of course I would prefer no replay for a judgment call like this, but I'm not sure that will happen.

Early model Honigs K1?