Sayhey

Eric Byrnes is no Willie Mays on the base paths. What kind of slide is that? I know he does not need to slide but if he does he takes the catcher's legs out and touches home plate. The U.I.C. is out of position and on one knee and is locked into a position. I do not have obstuction at any level. Let them play the game. It's called hardball. If the Feds. Had their way they would play with a softball and each player would be wrapped in bubble wrap. There is a risk when playing hardball baseball. If you do not want to take a risk then do not strap it on and step on the field. Varitek made a baseball play. Not a good one but it is a baseball play to move into position to block home as you glove the throw. I do have interference without a play on Eric Byrnes. That is not a defensive shove. I do not have malicious contact. Interference without a play causes a time out. Call it a dead ball if you like but the ball did not die. Byrnes is out for interference and other outs could be called. All runners are placed at the base they advanced to at the time of the interference unless Byrnes interference prevented the defense from getting another out, which it did not. If Eric Byrnes, one of the goofiest players in recent history, and the worst hair in recent history, slides like a mlb player he scores and the ball goes somewhere and maybe another runner scores.

Buster Posey may become the greatest catcher in the history of baseball. It was a shame to lose him for an entire season. M. L.B. has a keen interest in keeping exciting, smart, and all American type players like Buster on the field. Any rule modification to make that happen would be smart. The greatest Giant ever slid in hard and low and dislodged the ball from the catcher's glove many times. Willie did this in a legal manner. Many times he was actually moving away from the catcher as he slid. The slide was so violent that the ball would be ripped from the glove. In Posey's play the runner was trying to dislodge the ball, which by the way, he never gloved the ball. The ball was on the ground when he was hit.

If the pitcher rolls through a stop and hangs a curveball and the batter hits it out the pitcher should pay for his mistake. It should be live. In O.B.R. the balk is ignored if the batter and all runners advance 90 ft. on a batted ball or an award. If the batter does not make it to 1st base somehow, someway, and all other runners do not move up at least 90 ft.- enforce the balk and call it no pitch, and put the batter back in the box. Is that too difficult to learn. You could always get together as a crew and get it right. The idea of keeping it live is the batter deserves the right to at least advance to 1st base since the pitcher did deliver a pitch. It is not the batter's fault that the pitcher balked before pitching.

R-2 only in a bunt situation with a tie game you can stay on the line and bring U-1 into the B position. U-3 stays on the line and is in a much better position to rule on a play at 3rd base. Some crews are inflexible and will not try this. We're you in "short C" ? Situational umpiring. Set yourself up for success

If you buy the Jaska/Roder rules book you will see that a pick off attempt from the wind-up position is a legal move. The Jaska/Roder book will give you the Fed. rules differences. What is more difficult? Memorizing two rules or having just 1 rule. I am positive that a new umpire could learn that a legal step from an in contact pitcher in the wind up position is a legal move. Some moves are more deceptive than others. My 12 year old simply stepped to third and threw. R-3 read move and dove into 3rd base and was safe why should this part of baseball be eliminated because some Fed. rule writer thinks it is too difficult for an umpire to figure out. You could have a game where it is illegal and then 1 week later the same pitcher can make the move. Seems unnecessary. A home run was hit by a visiting team in a Fed. game on a balk. U.I.C. did not call time. Home coach walks out and wants to know what's up. U.I.C. says,"coach, you go over there and tell a 16 yr. old player that his homer does not count because your pitcher balked". coach turned and walked back to the dugout. We wrote to the Feds. and asked why a balk is a dead ball. That no logical answer

Mysterious is one way to say it. What is the thought process? You are writing the Fed. rule book and trying to justify your job and paycheck -" let's see. I know, let's make a pickoff from the wind up illegal. Yeah, that's a good one. That's mysterious. No one will question the great Fed. rules master."

It looked like the winning run had just scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded. Only problem was, the batter swung and fouled the pitch off his thigh. The U.I.C. missed the foul ball because he was partially blocked by the catcher trying to glove a wild pitch up high. The infield was in and I was behind the infield in a 3 man crew. I knew the pitch was fouled and we had time and a foul ball. I waited for the U.I.C. to call time. When he did not. The first base umpire and I both called time. The winning run was placed back on third base. You are a crew. If the U.I. C. calls a runner out at home and the ball is laying on the ground you have to act. You umpire as a crew. Coaches need education on how a crew works together

Why is it illegal for an in contact pitcher to step and throw to an occupied base from the wind up position. It is ok in o.b.r. but Federation rules have it as illegal.