pnewton

Agree with Chip and Scrounge, I am not sure that I see him making any physical move toward second. He certainly does "stop" running through the base awkwardly as if preparing to go to second. For me, and the levels I work, I believe I need to see a step toward second to justify the out. MLB level is a different story.

Agree with KLAH316 that you are slightly better off on the first base side. I say that not because of being screened from the play but rather the likelihood that after the ball gets bobbled (common in the levels that are assigned as solos) the play is probably going to first. The biggest issue with solos is that you can't possibly be in the right place for every conceivable play, so you just have to be willing hustle.

Somebody miss a sign here? I can't find a clear reference here but I am saying the run does not count because the runner had not scored at TOP.

I live and work in MA so we don't have Fed, however some of the high school leagues/conferences have begun to adopt the Fed re-entry rules. I had bases in a JV game today in one of these leagues, per usual my partner was not given lineup card. Coach comes out to make a pitching change. The "new" F1 had started the game as F6 and had been removed. Starting F1 goes to dugout and after warm-ups opposing coach approaches my partner to alert him of an illegal substitution (the new pitcher was re-entering but not going into his original spot in batting order, his sub was still in game at F4). My question is, what are we supposed to do at this point? We allowed the illegal sub back out of the game and allowed a legal sub to warm up and pitch, should we have made the illegal sub pitch because he had warmed up?

Had a remarkably similar sitch last season except coach wanted to argue that it was legal - only EJ I had for the season. AC (now acting HC) came to talk to me between innings later in game and just said "You know, I tried to tell him we couldn't do that".

and I was challenged in Baltimore for wearing a Patriots' cap... although I didn't get any crap for my Sox jersey, oh well

Clearly I am a biased Red Sox fan but I love the WFAN call from NY about how the Sox don't want to start this when they have two pitchers that put oil in their stringy hair to put something on the ball. What a way to defend such blatant cheating. I think we all know that many MLB pitchers use something on the ball, but at least make it look like you might be getting guys out legally.

Well let's see... we're getting 16 inches of snow between today and tomorrow so I'm going to say April.

12 months of baseball..... I know I shouldn't complain. If I had that I wouldn't know when basketball season is!

This is really your fault for living in AZ.

It just takes practice. I had trouble with lefties for a while, still more comfortable with righties. The dominant eye thing has little to do with it because I am right handed but left eye dominant.

I feel that I have to get the scoreboard corrected when wrong, as the commentators say in this video players use the board for info. IMO it's preventative officiating.

All of those leagues are very common here in MA, There does seem to be a split between the little league ventures and the Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken ones. The "competitive" kids also all play AAU, at least in the 11-14 year old range.

Since "NFHS" appears in the thread title, you want to be citing FED, not OBR. The rule is the same, but FED 8-3-5 includes this helpful remark: "For purposes of this rule, the act of ­fielding is not considered a play." Don't forget, though - afaber12 is lucky in two ways. 1) He lives in Australia, and 2) They use but one set of rules there. They don't have the bullcrap of multiple rule sets. And NHFS is a curse that only we 'Mericans have to bear. Not all 'Mericans - just those of you that aren't lucky enough to live in Massachusetts... then again we might trade our winters for fed. BTW - totally jealous of afaber living in Australia

Interesting point, at least to me, is how often Ellsbury gets interfered with. Does anyone see anything in his swing that seems to draw it? I can't find the stats but on the broadcast of this game they said that he has been the benefactor of something like 25% of the times Red Sox players have been awarded first on C.I. in team history.

Jacoby Ellsbury (who leads the world in drawing C.I. calls including at least three this season) is interfered with but gets a base hit anyway. Farrell comes out to take the result of the play rather than the interference, which he shouldn't have to do because the batter reached and the runner advanced on the play. http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29196755&query=catcher

Here in New England the end of baseball just means it's time to gear up for football or soccer with basketball or hockey not too far away!

Let's take something positive from this, one of the commentators actually knew that it wouldn't matter where he was standing on a thrown ball and correctly pointed out the obstruction on R1 as he headed to third.

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29063267&topic_id=0 Interestingly the Tigers' feed also didn't think the call was right http://wapc.mlb.com/play?content_id=29063267

The fact that Hunter had to "juke" to his left to avoid hitting Dunn is OBS. The real question is how many times does Hawk have to see this same type of play be enforced as obstruction to finally recognize that it's the correct call?

All three runs (the three initial runners) count. The only way they wouldn't score with the batter-runner being called out on appeal for missing a base would be if it were first base.

I am calling this a "wild throw" to second base and so nothing. My logic is that if a pitch slips out of the hand and still crosses the foul line it is called a ball and not a balk, implying it's just a really poor pitch rather than something illegal <This is OBR, I don't know FED>. If it was clear based on his step to second and the situation that the intention was the throw to second then that's what it was, it just went really wide.

I am a scissor guy and have been for my entire umpiring career (12 years). I have been told a handful of times to try to work the box because it is more comfortable but I couldn't disagree more. At 6'5 I almost have to get into a catcher's crouch to get low enough to be able to judge the top of the strike zone (maybe this is just my problem) and doing that many squats over the course of a full game as was less comfortable that the scissor. I have been hit in the mask, but who hasn't? I have never been hit in the cup. I'll keep the stance.

I have the exact opposite experience.

It is't that his right foot was going behind his left leg as much as it is his right foot going behind the pitcher's plate (rubber). Rule is cited straight from 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; Rule 8.05(a) Comment: If a lefthanded or righthanded pitcher swings his free foot past the back edge of the pitchers rubber, he is required to pitch to the batter except to throw to second base on a pick-off-play.