Bumps

No Districts for me. Back to some of the local Babe Ruth Leagues for me. May try to get involved in some tournament ball.

Correct, my season is coming to an end here in Central Florida. Thought it was over, as JV ball is all but over, but, I got a call from the assigner asking if I could do one more game, a Varsity game. On the bases, but getting my first Varsity game in my first season with the association. Pretty excited and pretty nervous at the same time and the game is Thursday! I know, Don't Suck.

Point well taken, but...Does it change if the score gets out of hand?

I did a JV DH Friday night. Small round robin between 4 Teams. Game 1, I am PU. First few innings go without a hitch. Pitching change for VT and F1 can not find the strike zone. Then HT hits when he does find zone. Jumping to the last inning, VT down 17 - 4. I stay with the zone I have had all night. Coach complains, I respond that we were not playing rec ball, he replies they are still kids. I tell him that's enough and we finish. He was not happy, but we finished. Is there ever a time in HS, whether it be JV or Varsity, that you would open the zone? My feeling is no and game 2 was my exact reasoning. I am now BU. HT goes up 16 - 3 after 3. Long story short, game ended 16 - 15. From my vantage point, PU did not open zone. Had the zone been opened up, it would have been an advantage to them and disadvantage to the HT. Am I wrong for this thinking? It is HS ball, throw strikes and you will get strikes called, throw the ball out of the zone and I will ball it.

I had a play similar to this yesterday. I was BU, I really could not tell whether the tag was made or not, I looked directly at my partner, he gave the the nod, I signaled the out on the tag. So my question becomes, since he really had the look, what is the mechanic for communication for him to make the call. Does the BU just point to him to, basically saying he needs assistance, or is it simply the look between one another and the BU still makes the call?

Okay, not sure what I am missing here, but 6.1.2, "With his feet in the wind up position, the pitcher may only deliver a pitch or step backward off the pitcher's plate with his pivot foot first." This is pretty clear as to why a pitcher can't do the aforementioned.

Adam Beck is a great umpire and even better person. He is from Central Florda and the local HS Association as well as the Rec Leagues that he has worked for in the past will miss him, but wish him nothing but the best. He will make an excellent addition to the crew.

I actually had this happen in a JV game yesterday. I am in C, fould ball off the leg, I wait for PU to call it, he didn't, so I did. Having said that, after reading the rest of this topic, I called the wrong thing, as I did call, "foul ball." Defensive coach came out asking how / why I made the call, told him I clearly saw it, got him in the leg. He was not thrilled but accepted it and back to the dugout. In post game we discussed the play and PU was appreciative I made the call, he was blocked. We had not pre-gamed this, so another lesson learned for pre-game talking points.

I am doing a JV game last night. Originally had bases, but partner called earlier in the day asking to switch, no big deal to me, so I agree to switch. Good pre-game. Game starts with good play, eventually visiting team opens up the scoring and wins 8-0. I feel like I did not have my best game behind the dish, but felt very consistent. A few close outside calls, I think should have been strikes, I balled, and later in the game ball goes to same spot, I ball it again and tell F2 we have not been there all night, we not starting now. He replies he knows, asks for time and goes to talk to pitcher. Anyway, game ends, JV coach approaches me, (I am originally thinking, uh oh), but he thanks me, and then goes on to say the Varsity coach was watching and thought it was a great game, good zone and hustle. I thanked him for that, said goodnight and went on to post game. You just never know who is watching. I guess I am my own worst critic.

It was not an announced sub yet. Player went to mound, coach was coming to me to announce, I saw what he was trying to do. Told him he could not do it. By that time the relief pitcher had thrown 2 warm up pitches. Just trying to figure out how to stop this from happening again.

Thanks Jocko. That I messed that one up. Was hoping that somehow, my talking to the coach, bought me something (time) to be able to disallow the illegal sub. Seems like I messed this one up

JV game, FED rules. F1, replaced in 3rd inning. F2 replaced in 4th inning. In 5th inning coach wants to put the original F2 on the mound, but leave in the new catcher. I let him know he can't do this, that the starter must re-enter in the same spot. He understands. Here is the sitch. During our discussion, the pitcher had taken warm up pitches. Once he realized he could not make this switch without removing his new F2, he pulled the pitcher from the mound and brought another fielder in. Since warm pitches were thrown, should I have had the coach remove the catcher, since the NEW F1, was the original catcher? Hope this makes some sense. I allowed the Coach to remove the pitcher and bring a new one in. The opposing team did not even question what was happening. Just really curious as to how this should have been handled, as I feel like I missed something.

Had a JV scrimmage a couple weeks ago. I have plate. No one on, line drive back at pitcher, hits pitchers glove and head, bounces sideways, BR reaches first, I kill it right after he crosses first. Check on kid, coaches and trainers come out. Pitcher is okay and game continues. Had to at least let the play get to 1B.

Hard to say what the runner was thinking, having said that, do I think there was intent to injure, no. To dislodge, I could make a case either way. I saw the arms come up, saw no attempt to avoid contact, and ran right into catcher, catcher fell backwards. Right now, if I had to do it over again, I would make the same call. I do appreciate talking though the play. I may be wrong, I will be wrong again at some point, but just felt at the time and the more I talk through this, that this was the right call.

There was ABSOLUTELY NO ATTEMPT to avoid contact. Runner saw contact coming and brought arms up chest high. There were numerous steps prior to contact, no deviation of running path, just arms up and whamo.

Here was my reasoning. I had catcher with the ball, again waiting. Runner had time to avoid, but not only did he not avoid, he brought hands up to chest high. Not mentioned previously, but catcher did fall and land on his @$$, not flying back, but was taken down. While this should have nothing to do with it, the offensive team was also up, 15 - 1. Really no reason for it. As a new guy to the Association and my first plate game, the last thing I wanted was this type of situation.

Ump45, Hands were chest high and came up a few step before the contact. CATCHER WAS WAITING WITHT THE BALL. Between the amount of time, I believe the runner had to avoid contact and the hands coming up, I felt I had no choice given the circumstances. BU agreed with the call and he is a Senior member of the Association.

Pete, It is FED rules and the player is supposed to avoid contact? In FED it was either considered obstruction, which it definitely was not or malicious contact. I do not really like the term either, but not sure what else to call it in FED rules.

Coach did not come down at that time. Came to me between innings to to ask what I had and told him I did not think the kid was trying to hurt the catcher but he did have time to avoid contact. Coach thanked me and all moved on.

HS JV game. To start, more then likely a HTBT sitch. Skip to the end part, R3 and R2 standing on 3rd. Neither player tagged, R3 takes off for home, 3B throws home, catcher standing with ball, R3 has enough time to avoid contact, but runs into catcher, with hands up. I truly believe it was a defensive mechanism, but dumped him for not avoiding contact. Thoughts?

Possibly going week 1. Have a team that has asked me to go. Working on the particulars. Have never been, so kind of looking forward to it

Is OBS an automatic award? HS scrimmage. Runners at 1st (R1) and 2nd (R2) 1 out. Deep fly ball to LF, F8 tracks ball and makes catch, runners had taken off on contact. R1 crossed 2B, upon catch retreats, touches 2B, but has collision with F4. Makes it back to 1B safely. R2 also returns to 2B safely. Are the base runners awarded a base even though they were safe in retreating to the bases the came from?

I agree, just trying to go with the flow as the new guy.

Actually we do not. I have ordered the CCA manual, but had not received it. Once arriving, it will be with me at all times. We were given the Fed rule and case books, but told to use CCA mechanics.

Never mind on other play. I actually have the touch at 1B and then head up towards home, as the PU is supposed to rotate up towards 3rd.