grayhawk

Great feedback everyone. I'll be better prepared to deal with this situation should it happen again. This is exactly why I come here.

Believe me, I let him know 2 or 3 times and he just kept stomping off. The 3rd strike wasn't that bad - it's not like it was over his head or in the dirt, but it was a pitch I would normally call a ball. After talking to his dad about it, he said that it was a learning experience for his son, so I don't feel bad. I wouldn't call it a "F**k you" strike. More of a "don't do that again" strike.

I ordered mine - can't wait to read it! Thanks for extending the deal to us!

10U USSSA tournament, coach's son at bat. Pitch hits the high, outside corner and I call it a strike. Batter, who is a 10 year old kid, is visibly upset about the call (gives that "eyes wide open, mouth wide open" look) and starts walking, as if in a hurry, to the dugout. 3B coach and I make eye contact and just before the batter gets to the dugout, he (the 3B coach) asks for time and I grant it. He's telling his batter that there is only 2 strikes the whole time the kid is walking towards the dugout. I guess I could have (should have?) just told F1 to pitch and call strike 3, but seeing that this was 10U, I allowed the time out and the kid comes back up to bat with 2 strikes on him. Next pitch is a little higher and a little further out - called strike 3! Kid walks back to the dugout without so much as a gesture or word. Never heard a peep from any of the coaches. I know the head coach from that team very well and I saw him a couple of weeks later and he said that he told his son that he better swing at anything, because the next pitch will be called a strike no matter where it was (he was right). Would you have handled it any differently?

Pretty evil Dix. Assuming OBR: The closest I can find is 6.05 (h): After hitting or bunting a fair ball, his bat hits the ball a second time in fair territory. However, 6.05 (h) Comment: If a bat breaks and part of it is in fair territory and is hit by a batted ball or part of it hits a runner or fielder, play shall continue and no interference called. If batted ball hits part of a broken bat in foul territory, it is a foul ball. Notice that the comment refers to the ball hitting a broken bat, whereas your question pertains to the broken bat hitting the ball a second time. I choose to follow the comment because it specifically addresses a broken bat, so: (a ): I have a dead ball and BR is awarded 2nd base. 6.09 (e): A fair ball, after touching the ground, bounds into the stands, or passes through, over or under a fence, or through or under a scoreboard, or through or under shrubbery, or vines on the fence, in which case the batter and the runners shall be entitled to advance two bases. (b ): Foul. (c ): Foul. EDIT: Don't think that this can only happen in a wood bat game. A 13 year old kid broke his alloy bat last weekend when he hit the ball on an iside pitch. The grip tape held it together though.

Even with Hunter thinking it was ball 4, he still has to stay out of the way of the throw by F2. It's pretty clear to me that he interfered.

Looks good to me:

BOO in an 11U scrimmage? Why did you return the original batter to the plate? As for your "unprofessional" behavior - I don't have a problem with what you said as long as you were volunteering your time. If you were getting paid, then you'd be better off ignoring them.

Not to mention the perpetuation of the "overrule" myth by the announcers. :shakehead:

We who live in warm weather states are very lucky. I am looking forward to the fall/winter where I will umpire for USSSA, AAU and Pony. Heck, I did 6 games last Saturday. So I guess, for me, I would add: Thank you for there not being an off season.

Pretty common thing for amateur umpires in youth baseball. We don't have MLB catchers squatting in front of us. Of course, it's usually a 12 year old throwing 65-70, not 93. But from 46 feet, it still hurts!

Agreed - he did an excellent job. Look out for that team from So Cal - they could be the ones to beat. 11-0 today without throwing their best pitcher. They have outscored their last 7 opponents 52-6.

Unfortunately, no. It was the PU not only making a verbal "fair ball!" call, but it wasn't even her call to make. Pane of glass... Her head height is so low, I can't imagine how she sees the bottom of the zone. Oh, and how about that verbal on the swinging strike three? :WTF

I'm 6'1, 192 and I wear the Mongo and it fits comfortably. I usually forget to take it off until I get home. Took a direct shot last week on an inside pitch swung on that the catcher whiffed and the NB did it's job.

Fair enough - in pro ball, this is a legal play. Are there any levels of youth baseball that this would be legal as well? It's clear obstruction in Fed - that I know.

It's from the rule book where it says something like "about to receive a thrown ball". The play is imminent were my words (not that Im claiming to have invented them or anything). OK - wasn't sure because I have not seen the "imminent" language in the rules. It's hard to tell from the video if Mathis was camped out there before he was receiving the thrown ball or not. I imagine this type of thing is rarely called in MLB.

Yes he was blocking the plate without the ball but so what? Thats allowed in pro rules if a play is imminent and it was here. Is that from MLBUM? I don't have that publication, so I don't know. I get dix's comment, but if the defensive player is in a position of obstruction before fielding the ball, can't obstruction be called? Seems to me Mathis was blocking the plate and the throw came to him, versus him moving to catch a throw that moved him up the line. I'm an Angels fan, but Ordonez should have plowed him over - he would have been safe.

Blocking the plate without the ball? http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=17461423

Ah LL around here goes, district, section, state, regional, WS.... I did a little more research and in Southern California, there are just too many leagues to do it like all the other states. In Southern California, there are 10 Sections, each with 4 Districts per Section. Each District contains between 6 and 14 leagues. Sections 1-5 are in the Northern part of Southern Cal - LA, the Valley, etc. Sections 6-10 go from about North Orange County to San Diego. So there are 5 teams in each Sub-Division tournament, and the winners of the two Sub-Divisions go on to play each other in a 3 game series to determine who represents Southern California in the Western Region tournament in San Bernardino. There are two "states" from California in the Western Region tournament - Northern and Southern California. They play against Nevada, Utah, Arizona and Hawaii to see who goes to Williamsport. Here is a good link that shows all of the Districts, Sections and Divisions in SoCal: http://www.unpage.org/socal/

Gotta love announcers, "now they're going to give them one and one." :shakehead:

What's your cut? :)

Besides, he IS in the batting order. The player being hit for (by the DH) must be listed in the batting order. When there's a DH, there are 10 players listed.

Hard to tell what Holbrook said with the poor sound on my computer. Was he telling the coach that he (the coach) can't see inside/outside from the dugout?

It's between Section and Division (state championship). Maybe its a California thing?

Got a phone call from the Asst UIC of our district asking me to be on the crew for a LL Sub-Division game on Sunday night. This is my second year working games at the District level and this was my first year working in Sectional games (I had 2 plates at the 9/10 and 10/11 age groups.) Between the clinics I have attended, the work I have put in at the HS level, and reading everything I can about different situations/rules, etc on this site, I am happy that all of that effort seems to be resutling in being noticed as someone that isn't half bad. I was surprised to see that I'm the only umpire on the crew for this game that isn't an instructor at the district. I'll be on 2nd base. Hope I'm not too exhausted because I'll be working 3 plates in a USSSA tourney that morning/afternoon. I'll try not to suck!