VolUmp

According to OBSTRUCTION Type A (or 1), the ball is immediately dead when OBS occurs on the runner upon whom the play is actually being made. So ... regardless of the rule set, the batter's intentional kick was unsportsmanlike and stupid, but does not take precedence over the dead ball. NOW ... in FED ... I suppose if you ruled that his kicking the ball was MALICIOUS (yeah ... try selling that one and say hello to a great JV season), then MC supersedes OBS.

I wouldn't post this except for the fact that my 90-man association was quizzed on this sitch (at my request) and roughly half missed it. If you're a newer umpire, take a crack at this without looking it up. Veterans, just post "EASY" or something similar and don't give it away. FED game. No outs. R1. Count is 1-2. RH Batter swings at an inside pitch that fooled him so badly that the pitch hit the back of his left hand. The ball rolled back to F1, who scooped it up and tossed it to F3. R1 went into 2B standing, as there was no play. BR never even left the box. He just dropped the bat and wrung out his stinging hand. Offensive Coach wanted a foul ball. Defensive Coach just shrugged at me. What's the call? Place the runner(s). Warning: there is a sermon to follow. (Ford Frick's 10th Commandment was broken)

Cool. I'll keep looking as well. I'll also try to find a casebook play ref.

Jax, the rule I cited is likely not the BEST rule to back that sitch up, but it certainly still applies. If you catch a fly ball on the run and you are not OOP until both feet are over the line, then doesn't the same logic say if you camp and catch a fly ball with only one foot over the line, you are still in play?

Jax, that's interesting ... and I would say that's typical and the norm ... because in college, that is how it's taught around here too. BUT ... our High School BOSS for the entire state of Tennessee shows us at each annual state meeting that he expects ... "EXPECTS" us to call the high strike. He literally takes a batting stance (he's a former Minor leaguer) and shows us where the high strike limit is, and then lightly chastises all of us who don't call that. So ... we are made to feel that we either call that high strike, or we will lose upper level games and postseason games.

This happened 9 years ago, but I'll never forget it. 3-man crew. College aged summer ball tournament. I'm PU. R1. No outs. Batter hit a low liner to F6. U2 in C signaled out on the catch. R1 caught badly off 1B dove back into 1B on the attempted double off from F6-F3. F6 airmailed it, but the ball stayed in play. BR never stopped. Thinks the ball hit the ground. He rounded 1B and headed for 2B. U1 pointed at him and declared him (already) out. BR never slowed, slid into 2B, badly overslid, and F9 had fired the stray ball to F6. F6 tagged BR easily as he lay near the bag. U2 (who thinks it's R1) bangs him out ... AGAIN. I called time, and explained to both coaches that since R1 never attempted to advance, I couldn't justify calling any kind of INT on the BR ... although he was called out on three separate occasions. Such a travesty to hear the word "OUT" three times on that play, and yet we had two more to go ...

I have always said this about the FED rulebook: "I think the FED rulebook is organized better than the OBR book, but I still hate enough of the FED rules that I prefer OBR with all its warts, inconsistencies, and all its interpretation manuals." First off ... does that describe anyone else's feelings? The OBR strike zone, complete with a diagram, shows the bottom of the strike zone to be the "hollow" beneath the kneecaps. The "hollow" is not a term we use much these days, but in truth, it adds a good 3-4" to the bottom of the FED strike zone which simply says "knees." I'd love some feedback from you all on where you call the bottom of the strike zone when working FED games. I want to assume that we are not complaining about calling the high strike (letters) or the corners of the 17" plate. The late John McSherry would say, "Don't call a strike that merely "nicks" the strike zone." I don't believe MLB subscribes to that ... I'm not sure they ever did. Managers want the wider strike zone ... even a ball's width that may "paint" either side of the plate. Batters get hits every game on pitches 18" out of the zone ... so shrinking the zone because FED is inept, and uses non-baseball personnel to write the rulebook, is a travesty IMHO.

Gentlemen, I try to read this a couple of times each season, and most importantly, right before a new season. I have had very few EJ's in the last ten years. I had way too many prior to that. Other than age and maturity, I believe I owe it to these wise old words from FORD FRICK. We should all read Ford Frick's 10 Commandments for Umpires each February before our first game. My comments are below in red. ..................................................................................................................................................... 1. Keep your eye on the ball. 2. Keep all your personalities out of your work. Forget and forgive. (This includes past behavior of coaches and your current partner) 3. Avoid sarcasm. Don't insist on the last word. (Nothing burns me like a sarcastic coach. I have to show restraint in not being a hypocrite) 4. Never charge a player and, above all, no pointing your finger or yelling. (As a parent, I find this one about the most difficult to avoid ... pointing and yelling ...) 5. Hear only the things you should hear - be deaf to others. (See only the things you should see - be blind to others.) 6. Keep your temper. A decision made in anger is never sound. (When an NFL official is on the mic and addressing the crowd, he never shows a temper. I like to pretend I'm mic'd up and behave as I would if on camera.) 7. Watch your language. (You can't be misquoted if you say nothing. Substitute words like flippin' and frickin' are for teenagers ... they always get misquoted later as the "F-Bomb.") 8. Take pride in your work at all times. Remember, respect for an umpire is created off the field as well as on. (Buy new hats and shirts when the old ones fade ... come on ... this isn't our primary income for most. Knowing the rules and mechanics, and reviewing them each off season is a must.) 9. Review your work. You will find, if you are honest, that 90% of the trouble is traceable to loafing. (Not sure if I buy this, but I'd agree that 50% of it is. The other 50% is coaches not knowing their own rules and just not being very good at what they do ... ) 10. No matter what your opinion of another umpire, never make an adverse comment regarding him. To do so is despicable and ungentlemanly. (I assume this means making an adverse comment regarding your partner or an umpire in your association to a coach, fan, parent, etc. There are times when accountability must happen, but then it needs to be made to the officers of your association.)

We should all read Ford Frick's 10 Commandments for Umpires each February before our first game: 1. Keep your eye on the ball. 2. Keep all your personalities out of your work. Forget and forgive. 3. Avoid sarcasm. Don't insist on the last word. 4. Never charge a player and, above all, no pointing your finger or yelling. 5. Hear only the things you should hear - be deaf to others. (My corollary added: See only the things you should see - be blind to others.) 6. Keep your temper. A decision made in anger is never sound. 7. Watch your language. 8. Take pride in your work at all times. Remember, respect for an umpire is created off the field as well as on. 9. Review your work. You will find, if you are honest, that 90% of the trouble is traceable to loafing. 10. No matter what your opinion of another umpire, never make an adverse comment regarding him. To do so is despicable and ungentlemanly.

FED Batter bunts down 1BL. Batter hustles down the line ... right on the line. F1 comes over, calls for it, and F2 runs into the BR from behind, who then runs into F1, who both fall to the ground, and the BR intentionally then kicks the ball from fair to foul territory. Whattaya got, Greyhound?

There are times when one rule ref nails it. There are times when multiple rule refs need to be used together. There are times when no rule refs really answer, and a casebook item is our best bet. This is precisely how "law" works ... based on precedent when there is no clear cut answer. For the purpose of this board, let's think like lawyers, then relax a bit when on the field.

FED 5-1-1i "Ball becomes immediately dead when: a fielder, after catching a fair or foul ball (fly or line drive), leaves the field of play by stepping with both feet or by falling into a bench, dugout, stand, bleacher, or over any boundary or barrier such as a fence, rope, chalk line, or a pregame determined imaginary line; Unless there is another rule that specifically says you can straddle the line, I'd say this one certainly implies it with the word both.

Guys ... PLEASE post the rule ref when you answer. This is a good question. There are certainly right and wrong answers. Rule refs make these threads half as long.

And lest we forget ... there is no such thing as CI in FED. It's CO ... (which I always thought meant commanding officer ... )

D-D-D-D-D-Did you say a coach asked ... a-a-a-a-about a j-j-j-j-judgment c-c-c-c-call??? That's not legal.

I had this a few years ago: 2 outs, R2, grounder to F6, R2 runs right into an apparent tag, but F6 tries to throw out the BR as he's being run into by R2. Both coaches asked, "Who was wrong?" That was difficult to answer without being a total smarta$$.

And I'll add that if the umpire called it a strike anyway, or if the batter swung, the result would be each runner moves up one base by rule (not by force). Count is now 3-1.

This is a case where R2 (Casilla) has no chance to avoid the contact, so there is clearly no intent at INT. Even the commentators were wrong in their explanation ... although they were right that the rule was misapplied. R2 can't risk leaving the base in the case, because Perralta would have caught the ball while standing on the base, and had an instant DP with the appealed out on R2. The commentator used the word "tagged." Yes, I realize you can get an appeal out by tagging, but the sure out here was to catch it and step on the bag in the same motion. I really don't know what Onora thought he saw in real time. Some would say that getting two outs on this play (assuming the contact was intentional) is unfair, since absent the INT, there would be one out - batter pops out. The 2nd out is punitive ... punishment ... for unsportsmanlike conduct. That's why the OBR book clearly points out, for example, when you have any INT call, it must be clear that there was intent, or you cannot assume a double play. Let me give an example that I had last year: R1 with one out breaks with the pitch (H&R). Batter pops up about 45 feet down the 1st base line. F1 clearly has the best shot at it, and the batter runs into him. I see no intent, just an unfortunate collision. I kill the play and call the batter out on INT and return R1 to 1B. In my gut, I think the defense just got screwed out of a DP. I can't call that unless I'm willing to judge that the batter's INT with F1 was intentional. And, since I called INT, it mattered not whether the ball was touched (or not touched) foul or fair ... the possible DP could have been made regardless.

FED Question ... suppose I call a "penalty" strike for the batter refusing to get in the box when told to do so. That is always accompanied by a "time" call ... so if the pitcher delivers a pitch a split second before I call time, my call of "time" kills the play, am I correct?