Mudder

Is it possible to be touching the plate, but not be engaged?

Bruce was the third out after the appeal, but looks like the ump pointed and called Cabrera out?

I'm BU, R3 has a big lead in foul territory by a couple of feet, ball is hit sharply down the 3B line just barely to the right of R3 (on the 3rd base dugout side), instead of avoiding the batted ball, R3 lifts his right leg and intentionally kicks the ball, while he was standing a couple of feet in foul territory, thinking, well its foul anyway. PU said ball was 1.5-2' foul at the most, when kicked. Partner calls R3 out for interference, offense complains. If it hit R3 unintentionally while foul its nothing, but because of the intentional contact, is this a judgement call, ie. R3 is out if you judge that ball had any chance of going fair?

BI yes, but what a great sell by the catcher!!

I guess by the strict letter of the rule, if I judged it was unintentional, and I don't call OBS how on earth do I sell this to an offensive coach who just witnessed his player tripped, and face planted into the ground, and now he's out to boot! I know its a HTBT, but it was a pretty blatant trip

OBR, I'm BU, R1 none out, batter hits grounder to left side, throw is early but off line taking F3 up the first base line in fair territory and high, F3 jumps up makes the catch lands maybe 2 or 3 feet before 1B and just in fair territory, before B/R is reaches him, then F3 sticks his foot out (in an apparent attempt to step on the bag he argued) and trips B/R who goes tumbling down past 1B, misses the bag, then F3 tags him while BR is lying on the ground. I called OBS and left B/R at 1B. Defensive coach objects says " he did not intentionally trip the runner, he was simply looking for the base with his foot, plus he has the ball and can do whatever he wants". Was this OBS?

I'd be more impressed if you posted the smiling indian... sorry, not supposed to refer to that.

That's a great exchange. Not trying to take anything away from it, but knowing that he is miked, how much do you think this affects what Angel says, or does not say, or how he says it, during the course of a game? Angel's words "you're awesome with us" is very telling. Is he is saying the "umpire fraternity" has no issues with Rizzo, like arguing the strike zone, etc?

Agreed that no angle is clear to indicate if the enitre foot passes the back side of the rubber, but I don't think anyone has mentioned his lean towards the plate while stepping with his free foot towards 1B, to me this commits him to pitch. Some have a slight lean but this is too much

I thought a fake tag is OBS?

I get it, but what about something like F1 requesting a different ball, throws his ball to F2 and you show F2 the only 2 beat up balls in your ball bag and say pick one, nobody calls time in this case, and runner steals?

R2, partner is in C, F5 playing in, nobody covering 3B, I'm appealing to my partner on a checked swing, he "says no he didn't", defensive coach yells out "I can't believe you both missed that!", then partner and him exchange a few words, as this is happening R2 steals 3B, coach comes out asking that during an checked swing appeal "isn't it like time is called, or is it a live ball?". I say live ball. I understand its a live ball and runners can steal, but there are times when play is relaxed and time is not specifically called, and "administrative" stuff is happening like foul balls being returned to the plate ump, coach yelling in a line change to the ump, etc. what do you do if runners steal in these cases?

Left handed batter has this habit, not sure if its intentional or not (intentionally trying to distract the pitcher), but as the pitcher delivers the pitch the batter's front (right) leg kick is so exaggerated that he basically kicks so his entire leg is right over the plate, sometimes he swings sometimes not. He only does it sometimes, and it appeared to me like he does it when there is 3 balls in the count, as if to distract the pitcher to throw ball 4. Catcher is complaining to me about it, I say it looks like he's doing it after the pitch is released, so I got nothing. Is this anything?

I would say .5% of the time, when you tell him from the plate area to wrap it up, and he casually looks at you and does not move, he wants to get tossed and baits you into coming to the mound to sound off, in which case I stay where I am.

R1 is stealing, catcher gets up and reaches way in over the plate to catch the pitch and throw to 2B, runner is safe. Batter made no attempt to swing. Is this still catcher's interference to which the rule of batter get 1B would apply, similar to the batter swinging and the bat touches the catcher's mitt. In other words no swing or attempted swing is required by the batter for this kind of catcher's interference to be called, if the catcher reaches into the strike zone, whether the batter attempts to swing or nor CI is still applicable, correct?

Why is West set up that way, standing basically directly next to F2 instead of behind him. It appears F2 could have caught the pitch but West was in his way?

2 umpires who can't stand each other are working a game, 2-man, on a check swing appeal PU points to his partner, did he go?...making the safe mechanic BU responds " No he didn't", then immediately makes the out mechanic and says "but it caught the corner!"

separated at birth....Mark Carlson and Ray Liotta

I agree, I get grief sometimes when I shut down the cheer from the defense to F1 to the effect "C'mon get this guy, he's a looker he ain't swinging"

R3, breaks for home, F1 does same action, so then it's a throw to make a play on the runner and legal? So this was not a quick pitch, ie. to pitch when the batter is not ready, as he was obviously ready, it was ruled an illegal pitch because he was not engaged when he threw it, and you say if the batter hits the ball and he reaches it would count? But it was not a "pitch" so how could a hit count? So if F1 threw the exact same way there, but stayed engaged, it would be a legal pitch, correct?, the batter was ready

Can someone cite/copy where it indicates a pitcher does not have to stop when throwing to a base from the rubber for a pickoff, OBR

OBR, I'm BU, Batter hits a squibber up the 1B line, rolling almost directly on the line, F1 is ranging over to field the ball, he picks it up maybe 4 or 5 feet from 1B, straddling the line, with his back toward the runner who is only a couple of steps behind him, coming hard. F1 fields the ball cleanly and instead of flipping it to F3 he decides to take it himself. He takes 2, maybe 3 steps, toward 1B and steps on the bag for the out, by now the BR is directly behind F1, practically touching him. There was no collision Offensive coach is asking for obstruction on F1 saying his runner had to slow down cause F1 was in his way, after he fielded the ball. I know F1 is protected to field the ball, but does that protection end once he's fielded the ball, or in this case would it continue until he took the couple of steps, directly in front of the runner, to reach the base?

So if he stayed in the dirt circle, and the bat boy brought him another bat, that would have been OK?

I know for me when F1 is on the rubber in the windup, and they disengage, I have to think about it and replay it in my head for a second to make sure I saw which foot he stepped off with. I know in my head its the foot on the same side as the throwing hand for both RHP or LHP, but when it does happen, rarely, I still have to take the extra second to replay it in my head to determine if its the correct foot or not.

Great audio....if you delete the announcers talking you can make out all the conversations. Like the way Hamari tucks his indicator in his belt (2:10 mark). Anyone else do that?