Richvee

Good call and kudos to the announcers for their accurate and on-point breakdown.

Gary Cohen and Ron Darling. Two of the more enjoyable, intelligent and articulate announcers around.

I don't see BI. He can't disappear after he tries to bunt. He doesn't try to get in the way.

I done see running out of his baseline. He looked like he kept his upper buddy (arms) inside the 3 foot.

But it is a horrible stance by the Umpire. Is this HS?

I think I'd call him out of his basepath.

I can see BI here. Batter makes no attempt to vacate.....

7.3.5 (d) failing to make a reasonable effort to vacate a congested area when there is a throw to home plate and there is time for the batter to move

away.

To go along with that stance, he's got his indicator in his right hand. :wow:

Not to be misunderstood, I didn't want that the mean we should be calling strikes shins to shoulder caps on the little guy, all I'm saying is if the little guy wants to be a hitter, he's going to have to swing at more pitches a bit outside the strike zone. The only thing we do to "make it fair" is call the same zone for every batter.

There is always that small kid in every league that has no strike zone to speak of, and has walked almost every AB of the season. How do you make it fair for the pitcher and batter so that the batter can get involved and actually play the game?

Granted, it's tough for the little guy to get good pitches to hit. But you have no control over him "getting involved and actually playing the game". He's got to realize he's got a tiny K zone, and the pitchers, for the most part aren't accurate enough to throw him consistent strikes. If he wants to get involved, he's gonna have to learn to swing the bat and hit pitches that might be shoulder or shin high.

look at the penalty under 6-2-1...For infraction (e), a ball shall be awarded each time a pitcher violates this rule and subsequently engages the pitching plate

Situation 'O' is a balk because of the movement involved, not the mouth part. Read the whole ruling:

6.1.3 SITUATION O

With R1 at third and R2 at first, F1 is in contact with the pitcher's plate but has not yet come set. He brings his pitching hand to his mouth and distinctly wipes it off.

RULING: Balk, award R1 home and R2 second. The pitcher cannot bring his hand to his mouth because the pitcher is required to go to the set position without interruption and in one continuous motion.

The balk overrides the mouth touching.

This is what bothers me. I agree SIT "O" clearly states it's a balk because of the movement, not the hand to mouth. This contradicts 6.1.2 SIT D that says he can adjust his cap from the same position.

I've seen this a lot...Not physical violence, but people who live on neighboring lots next to ball fields getting PO'ed. It's insane...The ball field has been there before you moved in...Wife says "Oh look dear, there's a baseball field just beyond our backyard fence"...Husband replies 'Don't worry honey, I'll make sure there's no ball playing going on while we're here" I don't get it. I know one field that whenever there's a game they let the dogs out to bark for two hours, or make sure it's time mow the lawn, or cut some firewood with the chainsaw.

Maybe it IS a Jersey thing :shrug:

I don't think the arguing, per sey, is what causes the lack of professionalism, as you put it. I think it's the "tone" of the arguments...the level of violence we see in these confrontations that's appalling. IOW, Today's arguments on the MLB fields, I see more rage and anger in the players and coaches than in the past. There seems to be more bumping, charging, throwing equipment in fits of rage than ever before.

Yes, Lou Pinniella throw bases, obviously not at anyone or even even in anyone's general direction. Yeah, Billy Martin kicked dirt on umpires, but was that really a physical threat like these guys today? Earl Weaver could get in an umpires face like no one else. Somehow, to me, these arguments were different. Not threatening. Dare I say...entertaining??

Maybe I'm nuts, but that stuff didn't offend me like the actions of some of these clowns today. Like I said, the arguments seem to be more violent, and quite frankly, scary, and I think something needs to be done to stop it.

Show me a good old fashion argument and I have no issues. I might even crack a smile.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-4FSRYagc

Congratulations! Are you guys just now starting HS season up there?

No...it starts late March. I was a little late in registering, and being my first year, they let you wade in the kiddie pool first ....I had games scheduled the last Sat of April but it that DH got rained out. Yesterday, tomorrrow, and next Monday are what they assigned me , ..all JV. This is fine with me, being first year and getting a taste of things. I'm sure next year will be more with Varsity games thrown in ....

Thanks Fittske!

I hope you do get some Varsity. This is my 3rd year doing high school. I was assigned my 1st 3 varsity games this year. All 3 late in the season, so I basically had 3 years "cutting my teeth" with JV and Frosh ball. I'm real glad it went this way. Thinking back to what I must have looked like and how I felt on the diamond 3 years ago compared to now is night and day. My 1st varsity game was last week, I knew my partner well but never worked with him. He's the assigner for all the travel and LL tourney in my area. The game went well. I had the bases. In our post game I of course asked for a critique. He said I did great, looked comfortable and confident like I've been there. He said no one would ever guess that was your 1st Varsity game. Two things he told me.

1. Bases empty triple. Start moving towards home as soon as you're sure BR isn't coming back to second.

2. Keep my "safe" call high. I was too low with my hands.

Bottom line, no substitute for experience. Good luck with next year's high school schedule! I hope I get more varsity too. The level of play is so much better!

And guess what?? Yesterday was game number 1 with a WORKING scoreboard!!!

Yes! An added plus at the varsity level!

Just got another varsity game added for tomorrow. My local assigner must have put in a good word for me with the high school assigner. It's a Tech school league playoff game. Not the highest level of varsity ball, but it's still varsity and it's still a playoff game. I gotta be happy with that

There's no doubt I owe a great deal of thanks to this site. I seem to learn something here almost on a daily basis. I know I'm a better umpire because of it. :beerbang

Congratulations! Are you guys just now starting HS season up there?

No...it starts late March. I was a little late in registering, and being my first year, they let you wade in the kiddie pool first ....I had games scheduled the last Sat of April but it that DH got rained out. Yesterday, tomorrrow, and next Monday are what they assigned me , ..all JV. This is fine with me, being first year and getting a taste of things. I'm sure next year will be more with Varsity games thrown in ....

Thanks Fittske!

I hope you do get some Varsity. This is my 3rd year doing high school. I was assigned my 1st 3 varsity games this year. All 3 late in the season, so I basically had 3 years "cutting my teeth" with JV and Frosh ball. I'm real glad it went this way. Thinking back to what I must have looked like and how I felt on the diamond 3 years ago compared to now is night and day. My 1st varsity game was last week, I knew my partner well but never worked with him. He's the assigner for all the travel and LL tourney in my area. The game went well. I had the bases. In our post game I of course asked for a critique. He said I did great, looked comfortable and confident like I've been there. He said no one would ever guess that was your 1st Varsity game. Two things he told me.

1. Bases empty triple. Start moving towards home as soon as you're sure BR isn't coming back to second.

2. Keep my "safe" call high. I was too low with my hands.

Bottom line, no substitute for experience. Good luck with next year's high school schedule! I hope I get more varsity too. The level of play is so much better!

Good luck with the surgery. My mom had valve replacement a year ago at 80 years old and within 2 months she felt better than she had in years. Best wishes to you!

There's a Yahoo group called llumpires.

http://sports.groups...roup/llumpires/

I joined. In there members only area under "files" they have the 2011 LL RIM on PDF. And some other interesting documents.

Thanks. I've had a few pitchers straddle the rubber in this position (pre stretch for lack of a better term) and then move the pivot foot forward to engage the rubber prior to beginning the stretch. I've always let this go, thinking if he started his stretch with that pivot foot still off the back,then for sure..Balk. That's what made me wonder about my OP. He never started to stretch from his position to the side of the rubber, just the "lean in, pre-stretch position.

For what it's worth, I didn't balk him. (This was a JV game). I called "time" and told him "don't do that". He gave me some lip saying he's allowed to do that if he didn't look into the catcher while he was doing it . I simply said, in a more stern voice, "No you can't, and don't do it again". Then his coach started with the same reasoning.."As long as he doesn't look in, he can do that"...Where do they get this stuff? Of course, then the OC said if he can't do it, then it's a balk. I pretended I didn't hear that, and hoped he didn't make an issue of it because I was thinking.."yeah, I think he's right". Luckily, the OC let it go.

Another lesson learned. Should have balked him.

ART. 5 . . . It is also a balk if a runner or runners are on base and the pitcher, while he is not touching the pitcher's plate, makes any movement naturally ­associated with his pitch

Situation- R1, F1 receives the ball back from the catcher. he stands 2- 3 feet to the side of the rubber, leans forward, glove on knee, pitching hand behind his back like a normal pre-set position. Is this considered "movement naturally associated with his pitch" , or would he have to start his stretch from off the rubber before it's a balk?

Interesting. Thanks Rich. Without a copy of the LL RIM, how would anyone know only (e) and (g) should be called with the bases empty?

I thought about where the note was placed in (k), but what threw me was the word SITUATIONS. I would have thought if it only applied to (k) it would read '"IN THIS SITUATION"

I'm guessing the only way to get a copy of the LL RIM is to join the LL umpire registry?

Maybe I'm wrong. Our little league has called a ball when bases are empty and a pitch starts and stops his delivery.

OBR

8.05 If there is a runner, or runners, it is a balk when—

(a) The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with

his pitch and fails to make such delivery;

Little league

8.05 An illegal pitch (a balk in JR, Sr and big league) when a runner or runners are on base when

a. The pitcher, while touching his plate, makes any motion naturally associated with

his pitch and fails to make such delivery;

Reading this, I'm thinking no violation with the bases empty??

Not a violation with no runners.

In OBR/LL it's definiitely nothing with no runners. In FED, by rule it's a ball, but we're instructed to ignore it, which again, is fine by me.

I was reading the '12 LL rule book today and noticed something. After 8.05(k) it goes on to say...

"In the situations listed above, (I'm assuming they mean 8.05 a through k) in Little league (Majors) or Minor League, it is an illegal pitch even when runner(s) is/are NOT on base."

So, 8.05 (a) in majors, is a BALL even with no runners on base.

...And the HC saying "the umpire's got to take control of this". Always our fault. :shakehead:

I've got 2 or 3 different travel leagues I call. 10u (when I have to), 11,12 50/70, 14U etc. They all seem to play a different rule set. I have made it a point at plate meetings to clarify the ruleset, any "league rules" like continuous batting order, special pinch runner rules, etc.

I dunno. Just watched Hunter Wendelstedt point down to 1st after Adam Jones took one off the elbow.

Funny thing is that he'd probably tell you not to do it.

I posted it because the timing was perfect. As I was reading this thread, I had the Yankee game on, and pretty much as I read the post, I look up and see Hunter pointing to 1st :eek:

Helton's so far off the base I don't quite understand how the could have been straight lined. If he's watching the bag for the BR's touch....ahh never mind. Agree you got to see if PU has anything here.

On the HBP, consider not pointing down to 1b. He knows where to go.

I agree with not pointing to first on a HBP.

I dunno. Just watched Hunter Wendelstedt point down to 1st after Adam Jones took one off the elbow. :shrug:

I work alone in a fall rec league. Everything else is 2-man, except for a 10U travel league I do when my assigner needs a favor. Least favorite league for me to work. 10u, daddy coaches with no rules knowledge, loud obnoxious moms, and everybody's kid is the next Bryce Harper. :bang:

I also do not think he swiped after the ball but the ball happened to be by his right hand which he was trying to use to move back to the plate.

I think it was a perfect non call.

OK. I can buy that, but I do have a question. Lets say his hand did swipe away the ball as he was tying to reach back and touch home. Would we rule the contact with the ball was incidental and allow the run? IOW, would we have to judge that he swiped at the ball on purpose to call him out for INT?

thanks. Wow. Maybe he does slap at the glove on the way by. I missed that watching the game on TV. He definitely tries to swipe it away when it's on the ground, but misses it. What a throw though!

I think he swatted at it after Ramos dropped it. He knew he missed the plate. He missed on the swat attempt. It looks like Carlson would have been all over the INT call if Hairston touched the ball.

This rules committee need to learn a little about what they're making rules about.

The only type of lens I can see as distracting would be a lens with a "mirror" coating. These lenses reflect light and I can definitely see where this could be distracting to a batter. Mirrored lenses can be Rx or non Rx. Some Oakley's are mirrored, some are not. There's not enough reflection off any other type of lens, (non Rx sunglass or Rx sunglasses, transitions, whatever) that would bother a batter.

Oakley, and many other well known sun glass manufactures offer their lenses in prescription. Oakley can make clear lenses (see K-Rod), Sun lenses, and transition lenses in their frames. Just because the kid's wearing Oakley's, or any other sunglass for that matter, doesn't mean it's not an Rx. I don't see how you can tell a kid with a pair of Rx sunglasses on to take them off. Converse, Rec Spec, Nike just to name a few, all make sports goggles. The are all Rx compatible. You can bring many of these sports frames to an optician and they can supply lenses for them. Clear, polarized sunglass, transitions. Both Rx or non Rx can be made.

Again, unless the lenses have a silver, blue, or some other shinny mirror coat, non of these should be "illegal".