johnnyg08

Sure. The pressure of a big game, someone or entity trusting me & my crew to handle an earned assignment or important situation...it's a privilege to be on the field, put there as a steward of the game to maintain its integrity. Within that privilege is a certain amount of pressure to succeed and perform the job we were asked to do. Happy New Year!

Yep, for the longest time, it was the ability to get one because for some crazy reason they never went mainstream. I love mine. It's a great mask. Love the weight, the visibility and holds my spyder throat guard.

And yes...time limits a must for the youth stuff.

I think it's a safety factor too. I don't ever want a head injury...but the risk feels greater to me the younger they are. As for fair/foul...do the best you can if you work behind the mound. If you're working alone, there are lots of calls we make that don't give us a good look...but I look at percentages...the one, maybe two fair/fouls in an entire game to have been angles/distances for the bases behind the mound...and not risking head injuries...if I'm going to work those, I'm not going behind the plate for the youth stuff.

So under that thought...you'd be comfortable putting the batter/runner at 3B in this play?

He did...I don't believe that was the correct judgment on that play...and as for Reggie's actions...I guess for me what was there wasn't enough...but what do I know? 🙂 Not a lot.

Agree...at our levels...keep it live as often as possible. Keep things moving.

What about this one? Pretty tough to get in real time...but perhaps another look via video tells a different story?

Maybe...but the wrinkle it would add would be placement of runners. With video review it's pretty easy...in the amateur world...I like unintentional, two bases, TOP. Then I don't have to worry about where the runners were or weren't. I see that point though.

I agree with that. My understanding, again from the MLBUM, is that the Crew Chief has the discretion whether or not to speak to the media. And yes, the rule book language helps the casual fan & player because very few people have access to the MLBUM...which I wish would change. The media & commentators could have one in their booths if they wanted to...or their fact finders.

Here's another relevant play from 2019...coincidentally with the Rays, except they're on defense:

5.05 a(8) thank you @Velho

Crew Chief make a rare appearance and clears everything up for the media:

Nevermind...I understand now...the intentional drop on this play...which I think is relevant to this discussion...not the intentional drop but Reggie's failure to vacate. This clip is actually pretty cool because Lasorda and/or the umpires are mic'd up and we have audio of the discussion. Here's two videos mashed together. One is the TV broadcast and the Lasorda/Umpire audio begins around the 3:10 mark:

I don't think there's any dispute there...but for the purpose of enforcement on this play, it has no bearing where the runner is running. And when we explain these plays to coaches, "Coach/Name, I hear you, but that's not how this is interpreted. He needs to do something inconsistent with simply running the bases" or some version of that.