Larry in TN

I mentioned that suspension to one of our board members. He hadn't heard of it.

I agree on that one. It's strange, too, how the people who use it will so vigorously defend it as being correct! Less vs. fewer is another one for me.

Isn't that a violation of the LL charter? Since when did LL board members (or coaches, or parents, or players) start reading the LL rule book?

I'm having a hard time with how 7.08(b) INT should be applied to the following situation. Ruleset is LL Juniors in which the 2.00 definition of interference, and 7.08(b) are the same as OBR. I've copied the applicable LL rules and instructor comment from the LL Umpire School Rules Instruction Manual (RIM) below. Situation is R1 with a soft grounder to F4. F4 can't come in to the ball because R1 is running in front of him. (Can also be R2 with F6) The umpires in our league have not been calling INT. They say they would need to see contact to make the INT call. Since the fielder chose to wait for the runner to pass there wasn't any INT. My reading of the rules and LL RIM leads me to believe that if the fielder stops, or doesn't move in on the ball, because the runner is running in front of him then the runner has obstructed/impeded/hindered the fielder. Is there any other guidance on how INT should be judged in this situation? Thanks... 2.00 - Definition of Terms INTERFERENCE (a) Offensive interference is an act by the team at bat which interferes with, obstructs, impedes, hinders or confuses any fielder attempting to make a play. 7.08 - Any runner is out when -- (b) He intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball (NOTE: A runner who is adjudged to have hindered a fielder who is attempting to make a play on a batted ball is out whether it was intentional or not); INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS: Once again, the base runner has the right of way to the baseline on a thrown ball and can only be called out if sh/she INTENTIONALLY interferes with a thrown ball. On a batted ball, however, any interference, whether intentional or otherwise, must be enforced. This could be visual or verbal as well. LL Umpire School Rules Instruction Manual.pdf

I guess you gotta have your timer ready in case there is a timing play...

In LL there is no "in the act of fielding the ball" in the OBS rule like there is in OBR. OBSTRUCTION is the act of a fielder who, while not in possession of the ball, impedes the progress of any runner. A fake tag is considered obstruction. (NOTE: Obstruction shall be called on a defensive player who blocks off a base, base line, or home plate from a base runner while not in possession of the ball.) Sounds like he had possession of the ball when he initially blocked the plate which would be legal. Never heard of it automatically becoming obstruction when the ball is dropped while they're tangled up. Wouldn't the defender have to take some additional action after loosing the ball for there to be OBS?

It was quite a half-inning. Four, (I think), reviews in the game, too.

Well, I looked it up some years ago when I saw it posted in a thread on another unrelated forum. Good word. Describes the situation well. I have a tendency to be pedantic myself so it's good to be aware of it so I can self-correct. (Now if I could only learn to pronounce it correctly on the first try. I always end up inserted an extra "n" sound before the "d"!) Hey, a beer does sound good, Fleas... You buying?

T-Ball is $85. All other divisions are $125.

No umpires, no score for TB4 and TB5. One umpire, a teenager, for coach-pitch PW6, PW7, PW8. Two umpires for kid-pitch Minor 9 and up.

F=MA, E=IR, P=IE, ... What else do I need?

All of the umpires in our LL (Intermediate and Junior divisions) kill it immediately when they call balk. They've trained everyone to think that a balk is an immediate dead ball. I've asked several of the umpires I know well about this and they don't have a good answer. One told me, "I just like to kill it". ???????? Of course he's the same guy who signals the location of all of his "Ball" calls with his right hand. Have to listen closely to know if it was a strike or ball!

Their argument was that while the batter-runner was in possession of the live ball they could not attempt to stop, or put-out, R2 as he scored. The BR was preventing them from gaining possession of the ball in order to make a play.

OBR/LL Juniors. R2. Ground ball, throw beats BR to 1B on the hop but becomes lodged under BR's arm. By the time the BR drops the ball there is no time to stop R2 from scoring. DC wants R2 returned to R3 due to interference. Umpires allow the run to score. BR safe at 1B. Was that correct?

Who, or what, are you cooking? Exactly my point. Without the comma, you are cooking your family and friends. With the comma you enjoy three unrelated things; cooking, your family, and your friends.

I keep one in my score-keeping bag. Does that count?

Yeah, tough call. Also tough to be doubled-up on a ball that was foul. Would the 1B/3B umpires likely have had a good look at it? If so, why wouldn't the PU get help when asked knowing that he didn't have a good angle?

Open bases in LL Intermediate (50-70), Junior, Senior, and Big league divisions. You'll probably also find a lot of local league's which allow some stealing in Majors, and possibly Minor, division, during regular season play, to start teaching the kids how to do it.

Compare "I enjoy cooking my family and friends" to "I enjoy cooking, my family and friends". Amazing how one little comma can completely change the meaning of a sentence.

They've added more angles to the video including the one from 3BLX which shows R3 from the TOP. http://m.mlb.com/video/v32770635/chcatl-pastornicky-plates-run-on-successful-squeeze

Here's the rule. Nothing in there about going back to a violation that occurred earlier in the game. LL Rule 6.06 - A batter is out for illegal action when - [...] (d) The batter enters the batter's box with one or both feet entirely on the ground with an illegal bat (see bat specifications rule 1.10) or is discovered having used an illegal bat prior to the next player entering the batter's box. NOTE: If the infraction is discovered before the next player enters the batter's box following the turn at bat of the player who used an illegal bat: The manager of the defense may advise the plate umpire of a decision to decline the penalty and accept the play. Such election shall be made immediately at the end of the play. For the first violation, the offensive team will lose one eligible adult base coach for the duration of the game. For the second violation, the manager of the team will be ejected from the game. Any subsequent violation will result in the newly designated manager being ejected.

The UIC of our LL (nearly 1500 kids playing on 13 busy fields) has enough trouble finding enough paid umpires to cover all of the games. He was out calling a rescheduled game Thursday night because he couldn't find anyone else to cover it. I don't know how a LL can do it with just volunteers. We do use the 2-man system for all kid-pitch games. I suppose you could drop all those down to 1-man but I still think it would be a problem staffing the games. My 14yr old son starting officiating this season at the 6yr old level. He's paid $20 game. The kid-pitch baseball pays $35 for the BU and $45 for the PU. Don't know about softball.

One minor point from the scorer... Don't call it a dropped third strike, call it an uncaught third strike. It is uncaught if it is not legally caught. There is no requirement in the rule for it to be dropped. One instance where the distinction is important is when a pitch bounces before it's caught (i.e. good curve ball) yet still draws a swing. Even if the ball is then "caught' cleanly it was no longer "in flight" so it is not a "catch" and the BR is not yet out. Rule 2.00 - Definition of Terms A CATCH is the act of a fielder in getting secure possession in his hand or glove of a ball in flight and firmly holding it; providing he does not use his cap, protector, pocket or any other part of his uniform in getting possession. It is not a catch, however, if simultaneously or immediately following his contact with the ball, he collides with a player, or with a wall, or if he falls down, and as a result of such collision or falling, drops the ball. It is not a catch if a fielder touches a fly ball which then hits a member of the offensive team or an umpire and then is caught by another defensive player. If the fielder has made the catch and drops the ball while in the act of making a throw following the catch, the ball shall be adjudged to have been caught. In establishing the validity of the catch, the fielder shall hold the ball long enough to prove that he has complete control of the ball and that his release of the ball is voluntary and intentional. IN FLIGHT describes a batted, thrown, or pitched ball which has not yet touched the ground or some object other than a fielder.

You can't see it from the angle in that clip (unless they've expanded it since I posted it) but R3 was running full-speed before the pitch was released. You can see how close he is to scoring by the time the pitcher reaches the bunted ball. They had a good angle from 3BLX that they played during the broadcast that has all three participants in the frame from the beginning of the play.

Really nice suicide squeeze by Atlanta today. http://m.mlb.com/video/v32770635