Pearberr

Youth baseball is touchy because if you judge a HBP to be intentional you IMMEDIATELY eject. YOUTH baseball is about teaching safety and sportsmanship and Intentionally Throwing at a Batter completely destroys both in 1-2 seconds. I would not warn both teams in that situation. Talk to HC of the offending team and warn him personally that you feel he may be throwing intentionally and that if he believes his pitcher is out of control it may be best to remove him. You are justified even if you are wrong because you are handling the safety of the game, and you stand by that SH*# until the day you die in youth baseball. Also, if they hit the teams best hitter twice early in the count I'd suggest writing an email to the league president. The first thing that jumps to mind is pitch limits. Coaches are always looking for ways around the pitch limits (LLWS a few years back... ALL the balks). Hitting a batter is one of the classic methods for lowering a pitch count.

F/S game today. One kid comes up in the 5th inning or so, clearly hasn't played much ball. Team was winning big so they got their big clumsy 6'8" kid an at bat. Teammates seem to love him. First pitch was a high strike around the letters that I had been calling all day (But on 5'8"-6'2" kids... looks a little different). The entire bench, for the first time, erupts, complaining about the pitch. I call time, give them a warning. 2-2 count later in the at bat, and the pitch comes in at the same spot around the letters. I ring the kid up. The bench is upset but doesn't explode like they did the first time. Coach chirps something but I choose not to hear it. That was the third out. The team comes out for the next inning, and on the first pitch, the catcher never brings his glove up and even leans a little bit to get out of the way. Hits me square in the stomach. This is one of the better catchers I've had all year. Kept the ball off of me all day. I'm 100% sure that the coach ordered the pitch. I have absolutely 0% evidence. What do I do? I told the catcher (This being a freshman kid) that I knew who ordered it but if it happened again, he, the catcher, would be going home. And to make matters worse, I'm in a big association. 100 teams, 300 umpires. We never get the same team again. He could hit an umpire in every game and nobody would know any better. And I hopefully won't get him again as I like to think that I won't be getting freshman games next year (First Year High School starts at F/S regardless of previous experience).

Hello All! I'm only 18 years old but have been working for 5 years now. Been doing mostly Little League but just started working High School this year. Always looking to learn so excited to be a part of this board.

Hmmm... I'm doing High School Baseball in Orange County as well. Do I know you perhaps?

Thanks. I could have sworn that the Obstruction on this play would have given him first base safely. I thought that the rule to give him second was strictly for High School. BUT, that's why I am going to start hanging around here more often. To learn And I don't know which broadcast you were watching, but Steve Lyons for the Dodgers was saying Interference left and right. Although whoever his partner was (Not Scully), was getting it right calling it obstruction.

R1 outs don't matter. R1 leaves early and Ted Lilly picks him off, throwing to James Loney at first. After a short rundown, the fielder near second has the ball, and is chasing the runner back to first. Loney is standing in the basepath, 10 feet in front of first. The runner, runs well around Loney, and dives back into first. U2 calls obstruction on Loney for standing in the basepath, and rewards the runner 2nd base. I always assumed that in MLB, obstruction of this type would require contact, and that obstruction does not grant one more base, but rather whatever the umpire thinks he would have gotten. And the runner was in no way going to make it to second unless half of the Dodgers fielders dropped dead. Just curious as to what else might have happened on that play. Or if I'm dead wrong.

I think I'm with Mr. Umpire on this one. I was at a Dodgers-Cardinals game 2 weeks ago. Best seats I've ever had for an MLB game. Even with third base, about 10 rows deep. Runner on first, fly ball down the third base line. R3 goes out, Jerry West comes in and takes the runner to third. Play happens at third and I look at West for the call who takes no less than three steps before he stops and makes his call. I could care less how he signaled the runner safe but if he can't take a runner into third base anymore in a 4 man game than its time for him to leave. MLB Umpires are good no doubt. But that does not mean they are always good. I was equally frustrated with Matt Kemp in that game for his laziness. But when ballplayers get old, and are no longer able to play, they leave. And if Mr. West has gotten to the same point, which it seems clear to me that he has, then its time for him to leave.