StrikeToWin

​After I thought about it, I knew this was how I should have handled it. I forgot to pause, read, react (or in this case not react).

I have debated posting about this because I know that I will get flamed. I made a mistake last night on the field that I hope I never do again. Here is the situation: 12U played using OBR, R2 1 out. I'm PU and BU is in C. R2 takes off for 3B just after F1 comes set, without disengaging the pitcher's plate, F1 steps towards 3B and throws to F5. A play was made and I had stepped back and pulled off my mask and hear from the BU "Balk!" I have no idea whether he was safe or not. I tried to get my partner to come talk to me and he just glared at me. I nullified the balk, put the runner back on 2B and reset everything with my partner not coming to talk to me at all. I screwed this up on so many levels in how I handled the situation just because I thought I had to get it right and then couldn't even do that. My partner and I had only worked together a few times before and every time he complains about the level of baseball we have (mostly rec and low level competitive) and that he doesn't want to go over on the time limit, etc. He spent both of our games texting on his phone both between innings and when the ball was live. I asked him to keep his phone usage to a minimum but every time I turned around he was on it again. I'm more frustrated with myself for going out and inserting myself in my partners call than I am with his lack of etiquette on the field. I threw him under the bus and undermined his authority on the field (luckily this being rec ball it wasn't even really noticed or commented on) and I feel like a total stooge. After the game (since he wouldn't talk to me during the game) I apologized to him and told him that I handled it wrong. We shook hands and then I asked if we could talk about the play. His words to me "You can't throw to an unoccupied base". I said I know that but you can if there is a play being made. He still argued the point even after I showed him in the rules (8.05d under the old numbering system) so we still left it on less than good terms. All I could think about immediately after I did it was how wrong I was, but also that we needed to get it right. So after reading all of the posts about "that" partner, I realized that last night, I was him.

I would think whoever the umpire deems is most likely to make a play on it at any given moment. F1 usually does not have fly ball responsibility so whoever in the umpires judgment is most likely to make a play would be the protected fielder. That can change in a case of an F6 running over and calling off F4 but if he wasn't protected at that time, INT would not apply.

​As I said, I fully understand I misapplied the rule and now I know but both me and my partner got it wrong. He and I have since talked and now we both know. Again, I didn't get any grief from either coach on the ruling. And both my partner were on the same page, we were both just wrong. That's why I come here cause you guys are much more knowledgeable than I am.

I explained it to him later but I wasn't taking any more time then. We talked between innings. This was a pretty laid back game so it wasn't really a big deal, I just thought that part of the conversation was funny.

Problem was, the PU did announce "Play". I just didn't reset. As I said, I shall chalk it up to experience and know next time it happens.

Had a coach tell me this weekend that I had to go to my partner if he asked for an appeal when I had ruled that the batter had gone around. Went something like this: Coach: You have to go to your partner when I ask for and appeal.. Me: No I don't coach C: It's in the rules that you have to grant an appeal Me: No it's not, I only have to grant the appeal if I rule that he didn't go. C: It doesn't matter what you ruled, you have to ask. Me: Coach, who would you like me to ask? I'm working solo. C: Oh yeah, I forgot.

I at least didn't fall for it. I may not have reset but I also didn't gift them with the out. And now I know if it ever happens again. As they say the road to experience is a whole lot of mistakes.

Wouldn't that have been a yellow card in soccer or a technical foul in basketball? When I first saw it, it appears that the F4 intentionally initiated contact and then basically flopped with the added theatrics at the end. But I can see it in slow motion from several different angles. Since it didn't appear as though any of the 4 umpires called it initially, I wonder what the discussion was like in their conference. It appeared to me that U1 was looking right at R1 as he and F4 made contact. U2 also had eyes on and neither called INT or OBS so which umpire gave evidence that yes it was one or the other. Not criticizing, just would like to have been a fly on the wall for that discussion.

Argggg.... If I got it wrong. I was applying it as an F1 taking the mound without the ball and the ball being put in play. Wasn't thinking about F1 having to have the ball to even legally have play begin. I was more concerned with the fact that I lost the ball and had no idea that F1 didn't have it. Still learning and luckily no one said anything about it.

Last night I had a team attempt a hidden ball trick. R2, 1 out and F1 is struggling to find the zone. VTHC visits the mound and calls in the infield since they had all just fumbled a couple of plays and allowed a couple of runs. HTHC who is coaching 3B asks to talk and as I walk over he is looking down the 3B line. He asks if I have ever seen a line that crooked (it looks like a banana) and we both laugh and I hear the VT break from the mound. F1 gets up on the pitcher's plate and U1 says "Play!" F6 walks over and tags R2 and I hear VTHC yelling that R2 is out. I look and sure enough F1 has an empty glove and F6 shows me the ball. I immediately called a balk and send R3 to 3rd. VTHC smiled at me and said "Hey, I had to try." Between innings the VTHC comes over to me and tells me that he told his F1 not to get up on the mound and see if U1 would put it in play but he took the mound anyway. Luckily this was league play between two teams that have been playing against each other since T-Ball (they are all HS age now) and everyone got a good laugh out of it. I missed the ball exchanging hands in the huddle because I was distracted looking down the 3B line with HTHC but I learned a valuable lesson, Never take your eye off the ball! Glad I learned it in a relaxed atmosphere like that rather than a high caliber contest.

​You don't carry your rulebook in your back pocket during games? I though all umpires did that..... May have to rethink what I carry out to the field from now on

We have this occur occasionally in tourneys when time is about to expire and a coach will tell runners to just run off of the field to make sure they get another inning. There is really nothing we as umpires can do if this happens, we just enforce the rules and abandonment is an automatic out. Oh we still have 2 minutes on the clock, guess what, we are playing another inning. It happens, we deal with it and move on. I hate getting behind on my field especially during pool play but some coaches will play like that one game will determine their entire season. I'll bet after giving up 12 runs in the top half of the next inning the coach wasn't quite as happy with his choice since that would have put a lot on his pitchers that he would have to use to get out of the inning.

​Don't, it happens more than you can imagine. I've listened to coaches in mound meetings and can't believe he talks to his team like that. He's not addressing me so I don't say anything but it's unreal. If they are talking to me in a conversational tone and not chewing me out, I don't generally care what they say, but as soon as it gets loud enough for others to hear, we have a problem.

This was not a question of whether or not it was above the chin, it was DEFINITELY above the chin. I mean we are talking both hands were at the top of his head. It was a strange set position, but he did it every time.

I will say this, the coach that questioned it simply told me that he wasn't going to make an issue of it, just simply stated that I was wrong and I told him I would look it up when I got home last night. He is always respectful with umpires and is also very good with the rules.

Had this occur this weekend. I found the reference in the fed book: ART. 3 . . . For the set position, the pitcher shall have the ball in either his gloved hand or his pitching hand. His pitching hand shall be down at his side or behind his back. Before starting his delivery, he shall stand with his entire non-pivot foot in front of a line extending through the front edge of the pitcher's plate and with his entire pivot foot in contact with or directly in front of and parrallel to the pitcher's plate. He shall go to the set position without interruption and in one continuous motion. He shall come to a complete and discernible stop (a change of direction is not considered an acceptable stop) with the ball in both hands in front of the body and his glove at or below his chin. Natural preliminary motions such as only one stretch may be made. During these preliminary motions and during the set position until a delivery motion occurs, the pitcher may turn on his pivot foot or lift it in a jump turn to step with the non-pivot foot toward a base while throwing or feinting as outlined in 6-2-4 and 2-28-5, or he may lift his pivot foot in a step backward off the pitcher's plate which must be in or partially within the 24-inch length of the pitcher's plate. In order to change to the wind-up position, he must first step clearly backward off the pitcher's plate with his pivot foot first. After the pitcher has placed his pivot foot on the ground clearly behind the plate, he then has the right to throw or feint to a base the same as that of any other infielder. PENALTY (Art. 1, 2, 3): The ball is dead immediately when an illegal pitch occurs. If there is no runner, a ball is awarded the batter. If there is a runner, such illegal act is a balk. In both situations, the umpire signals dead ball. I could not find a reference to the glove being at or below the chin. Am I missing it or looking in the wrong place? We were playing under OBR so I allowed the weird set position since I didn't think that there was a rule regarding this in OBR. I knew it was in the Fed book but can't find it elsewhere. Give me sites so that I know for next time.

​Isn't Facebook where all D1 umpires go for rule interpretations????

I have called foot out of the box on a bunt before. Kid squared around and had his foot on the plate. Not just partially on the plate, dead center on the plate. I glanced down to make sure I was lined up before the pitcher released the ball. I thought the kid would pull his bat back but he bunted the ball by reaching out. I called the batter out and didn't get any complaints from the coach.

I have not finished reading it yet, but when I do, I will get with you and pay it forward.

I will say that if I have a catcher set up outside and he reaches back over to catch a pitch that is on the inside corner, I'm probably going to ball it at most ages and levels that I umpire. Same with a catcher that sets up way inside and has to reach out for a pitch on the outside corner. Never hear a peep when I do that.

I will say that I had called a game for the other HC previously and he told his counterpart that I had a good zone and to be ready to swing the bats. Did I mention that there were only 7 total swings in the entire game? Only 2 balls put in play and one foul ball. I had 7 called strike outs. It was a trainwreck all the way around. Also, the game only went 2 and a partial inning as time expired with the home team having no way to catch up due to run limits. It was probably the least fun game I have ever called in my umpiring career. Didn't matter how big my zone was, the kids were just not swinging the bat.

He was not quiet and was directing the comments to me.

Last night I was asked to work a 9U "wreck" ball game. In our area, this is the first year of kid pitch ball. I'm PU and a guy I have worked with many times is BU (yes, we have 2 umpires even at this level). I call coaches out for a plate meeting and start my meeting. The VTHC interrupts me asking if all players are properly and legally equipped to ask me what the strike zone is going to be. I turned to him with a hard look and said "Coach, that is not an appropriate question to ask an umpire at the plate meeting". We usually try to be congenial to coaches and parents at this level because they are still learning. I went back to my pregame meeting and finished up and told the HTHC to have his team take the field. 1st batter, 4 balls and a walk, nowhere even close. 2nd batter, 4 balls and a walk and 1st batter scored on a passed ball. 3rd batter 2 balls and then finally a pitch that was close enough to call a strike. Probably a little low but the only pitch so far that was hittable. Grumbling from the VT dugout and stands. 4th pitch comes in and is another passed ball so R3 comes home and F2 recovers and gets back to the plate to apply the tag in time. I bang the out and here comes VTHC to tell me that from 40 feet away his player got his foot in before the tag. I explained to him that his player never even got to the plate and that we were done discussing it. He looks at me and tells me that I missed a pitch low and now this and that that is already 2 calls that I have missed for the game. Remember, we are only on the 3rd batter of the game. I told him that was enough and to go back to his dugout. He continued jawing and (this is where I messed up I know) I told him I didn't want to hear another word from him. As I turn back to clean the plate I hear form the dugout area "Another word!" I turned around and said "OK coach, you can finish this game from the parking lot." He told me I was a piece and horrible but left the field. His fans chirped for a couple of minutes but settled down. I put myself in a corner when I told him "not another word" and I realized that after the fact but I heard no more chirping the rest of the game.

Yes, even in the top of the 1st. I have seen it happen once and the losing coach didn't have a problem with it at all. He was actually glad that it was called.