jjb

How small do the fields have to be before you stop arguing balls ad strikes?

Maybe UIC stands for something else....

I can tell you exactly how it feels when, after you've done all you can, it still ends badly: you feel like sh^t. It's too early in the morning to go into details. I've sent this link to every League Director in my City. I'll still get the coaches who, like 3 years ago, when I've advised them to immediately clear the dugouts and go to their cars, tell me: "OK, we'll just take infield until you say we can start again". The problem with dugouts is that they're (1) made of steel, and (2) connected to the fences. A bolt striking the center field fence will run around to the dugouts. Since most dugouts have fences in front and in back, we've got energized steel in front and in back, and the kids are in the middle. In automotive terms, it's called a spark plug.

You'd be suprised what they remember. We get a 2 hour block at our Coach Meeting before every season starts. We tried to figure out what issues coaches have problems with: Dead Ball Strike, Appeals, Type A/B OB, Batters Interference, Slide or Seek to Avoid, Basepath violations, and how to ask an umpire to go for help. Then, we split up: the lower leagues, (U9) listen to one of the Training Staff talking about munchkin ball issues: the older teams watch the JEA Balk Video. It's all done on Power Point, with photos, diagrams, etc. For the ones that show up, I've found they learn a lot: I get great feedback, and we rarely have problems with them. The ones that don't show up, well, that's why we have an ejection procedure.

If the unthinkable happens, that coach will be the first in the Lawsuit Line, saying, "well, it's the Umpires responsibility" Screw 'em. If you call a game too early, all they have to do is re-schedule: they do that all the time. If you call it too late, there's nobody going to be sitting in the Emergency Room saying, "at least we got the game in". Good call, Warren: you kept them safe out there.

We were asked a year or so ago to give "1 warning" to each pitcher in our 9-10 year old leagues. I told them we weren't giving out "balk coupons" to anybody. We don't call ticky-tack balks down there, but they eventually learn what to do and what not to do. In answer to your question, Dog, balks are the most common causes of umpire/coach conflict, because (1) coaches don't read the rule book, (and, if they did, they found the pitching rules too long to actually read), (2) they revert to the "well, everybody knows that...(fill in stupid myth here), or (3) they lay awake at night trying to figure out some type of "sure-fire-never-fail-pickoff-move-that-nobody-has-ever-thought-of-before", and then get pi**ed when they learn that nobody's thought of it because it's illegal. We show them the JEA Balk Video at Coach's Training: the ones that show up and pay attention actually learn something.

I got in a (short) discussion with a HC, who wanted to know if I was calling Time, when I was ignoring his runner. I told him that, "I'm not giving you "Time-so-I-don't-get-tagged-out", any more than I'm giving the Defense "Time-so-they-won't-run-anymore". It seemed to shut him up.

OK, Full disclosure: I didn't see the play, I have no idea whether or not it was an intentionally dropped ball (and the OP doesn't mention it), and really don't know why he called him out. So, for the time being, let's ignore the ID ball. But how about this: A runner is allowed to run between, say, second and third, because he's allowed to run to either base. Now, this B/R is allowed to run to 1st, but not allowed to run (back) home. So, (and how's this for a stretch?), perhaps, maybe, we're talking about a baseline violation to avoid a tag? Running to 1st and stopping makes his basepath one-way?

The question I've got is: do you ignore the coach/player, who's asking for time, or begin what will eventually become an argument as to why you won't give it to him?

If it's your job to evaluate him on every game, by all means, go ahead and do so: Personally, I won't evaluate an umpire (1) on a tournament game, or (2) when he's shorthanded (1 man). He's got enough pressure out there, without worrying about me standing behind him. I'll wait and find him on a nice, regular season game, and get to see him in his natural habitat....

Better: Go! Wait! Go! Go! No! Back! No, Go! Go! Billy, you've got to LISTEN to ME!

For the most part, we handle UTrip very well: the kids learn lead-offs/pick-offs, balks (more or less) at a younger age than LL. I'm originally from New England, where we used LL rules up to 13: it was a huge Culture Shock to the 13's who had never lead off a base, or a pitcher who never could balk. It's just these little things that make it difficult.

Hit it on the nose, Mr. Ump: I'm the Director of Umpire Training, and the email was forwarded through his League Director, (who answered his interp question). I was just chapped because of his emphasis on the ruling, rather than his lack of coaching skills. It's U-trip, Scobes: we use OBR rules.

OK, time for a "If I had a Taser on the field, I'd use it..." I'll start: "I'd use it on the catcher who flips his mask back at me on every play and hits me in the crotch"

I got an email from a coach complaining about an Interference call during a steal of home. The play is irrelevant: he was wrong, end of story. However, he had his runner steal home, and had his batter take a full swing: both the runner and swing arriving, in his words, "a second or two apart"....these kids are 9 years old. My God, what if (a) the batter connected with the runner rather than the ball, or (B), hit a line drive right at the runner , (5 or so feet away)? A steal of home requires participation by the batter as well as the runner. A suicide Squeeze is a bunt for a reason. And this guy wants to complain about a Rule Interpretation....

.....and, from that moment on, he became convinced that the hands are part of the bat...

I'm expecting showers for tonight's game: I promise that I'll find a way to use that one.

HE draws a line ine the dirt, YOU draw an arrow - pointing to the parking lot.

No, if the FED people had a say into what to call it, (like they do in their own rulebook), they'd call it "Larry", for no apparent reason

Nope: hands are part of the bat: in Cricket. I'll go collect my prize now

The problem is, Nate that, if they're ready before you can say Play, that you're not ready, and have to "catch up." Have 'em wait for you, as well..

I agree. After a balk, and the batter hits the ball, let the play finish. Then, call time and ask yourself: "did everybody advance at least one?" If so, play it as if there was never a balk. If not, enforce the balk as if he never hit it.

Update: the PD is going through will Assault Charges on a Sports Official. (Class C Misdemeanor). He's looking at a fine, and a Criminal Record. We've discussed it, and sent emails to all our younger umpires, instructing them to refer all post-game comments to their League Director. Then, the League Directors sent emails to all the coaches telling them to lay off the kids, or they run the risk of the kid calling 911 if they persist. I think some good may come from all this unpleasantness. In the words of Charles Barkley, when asked how he will handle a teenager coming to his door to date his daughter, "I'll just kill the first one: word will get around". I think word will get around here....Thanks for the input

Naw, he was laughing as he said it.

This morning: low pitch: batter ducks: ball bounces off his helmet. I hear from the stands " "Blue, the helmet's part of the Bat!".