Mudisfun

What is really sad is the answer to this questions rests in the initial sentence... "Had a player (10 years old)" That's where the story needed to stop. I could not imaging telling a Dad his kid would be out if he did not have him touch the base in 10 yr old ball especially for just a normal Saturday game.

LL requires you to have 9 at all times or the game is over (suspended) and refereed to the board. I would not officiate this game after the game is suspended since if someone gets injured then it could come back to hit you. If the teams want to play as a scrimmage then that is on them. Our District guidance is once a game is over for whatever reason then we no longer officiate the game as the assigned umpires for liability reasons.

Our HS association wants us to contact the school several days prior to our games to verify that nothing has changed as well to assure the coaches that we will be there. Most often this involves leaving a message with an admin or a VM. If they use Ref Pay they hand you a voucher printed straight out of Arbiter with your name and address already filled in so getting a phone number really isn't all that difficult in this day and age. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have a small digital watch that is attached to the back of my indicator since most games I do are solo and have a 2.5hr no new inning I have to know the start time. Keeping the watch face on the indicator keeps it unobtrusive and if I glance at it no one is the wiser... they just think I am checking the count or resetting my dials between innings.

Wow. A thief whose kid plays baseball and was about to be forced to volunteer as an umpire and decided to have a conscience? Considering the costs we pay for our gear consider yourself lucky to get your stuff back! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I hit start on my stop watch as the first prepatory pitch is delivered for timed games. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Buttbooger. I think this is the greatest new word I have read in a while. I am stealing this and adding it to my repertoire.

Best answer ever. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Was the batter acting like a batter and doing what he should be doing in this scenario? If he just dropped his bat I am going to find it hard to penalize him for doing what he should be doing and rewarding the defense for a pitch in the dirt. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Awesome. Best of luck to you!

We had a lengthy discussion on this issue on our LL board last year and the consensus was unless the swing was so late as to not be relevant to the pitch (IE the ball was already in the catchers mitt) then call the strike. What other criteria are we to use?

Fast forward to roughly 35 seconds...

I picked one up yesterday. Can't beat it for five bucks! Thanks for the suggestion. No way I'm bringing that to the field... if I have to leave in a hurry the scrooge part of my brain will be ticked I just lost $5!

Where in the land of sun and no water are you coming back to?

Welcome! Awesome to have an International flair to the board. Typically the umpires don't forfeit games here. We will suspend the game and refer the decision to forfeit or continue the game at a later date/time to the ruling body be it the Board of Directors of a local youth league, the State High School Association or the tournament director for tournament play. I am sure there are some places where the umpires will declare a forfeit but that is just not around the area I officiate at. Have fun! I have found this board to be a treasure of information.

I kicked this exact scenario on Saturday. Funny part was the defensive coach yelling to his pitcher that it was his fault for not finishing the pitch. Live and learn... Thankfully my kicking the rule did not impact the outcome. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The day of rest threshold is there to keep the game moving and to not force a coach to pull a pitcher mid at bat due to pitch count. Overall stress on the arm is what the 41 pitches or catching 4 or more innings is there to keep in check. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We have two twelve year olds... One who actually helped train adults at the district trainings... He is darn good and carries himself well beyond his years. We also have a pretty good 14 year old junior who is really coming into his own. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The usual way to play this for the runners is to 1) assume R3 will be out so 2) R3 stays in the rundown long enough for R2 to advance to 3B and stay there. After R3 is out there is one out - runner on 3B. Now if R3 does make it back and both are tagged then it's still one out with a runner on 3B. Same result. R2 blew it by retreating. The defense blew it by chasing him which allowed a run to score. As a coach I would take 1 run plus an out over an out and no run with a runner remaining on 3rd. But I agree with your assessment that the play 'broke' and was not ran correctly.

I love the parent in the stand stating that R2 is out because he and R3 are occupying the same base. Not 100% sure on the 'crappy base running' there... Seems like R2 at least knew the rules about who was allowed to occupy 3rd base and kept baiting the defense to chase him which left R3 to attempt to score... which worked in this case.

Working bases last night with one of our Junior Umpires on the dish. 12 yr old has indicator fascination after every pitch. I am in C and watching as R3 takes off for the plate after the pitch... Plate umpire never even saw the play until after the dust settled. Thankfully this was Minor B and I can run faster than the little kids so I was able to get an angle and make a call as his entire demeanor was "what just happened?". If this was an adult I would have let his spin in the wind for a bit but since this is a kid who is trying hard to learn we definitely used this as a teachable moment in our post game. Just reminded me... eyes on the ball.

Here in So Cal where a good majority of all games are played on school owned properties not only are you breaking local association rules, Little League, Pony or other youth sport rules but you most likely are breaking the law. Every school I go to has signs up that they are tobacco free sites etc with verbiage detailing fines and other unpleasant things that will happen to you... If I witnessed this at the LL level on my fields I would be forced to switch role from umpire partner to board member and rectify the situation in the best interest of our league and the kids. If that means dismissing the offending partner under my guise as UIC and covering the game solo then so be it; my interest at that point is to insure the league is not exposed to the possibility of having our charter yanked or having issues with other Government entities in addition to the obvious of keeping our kids from seeing chewing as 'cool'. Might as well start vaping on the way to the field with a rainbow colored electronic cigarette... hey, it technically is not smoking, right? It looks cool right? HS level I am reminding my partner this is a no-no, could be a potential criminal act under the law and could result in additional problems with the association when and if it is reported to the powers that be which most likely will occur right after you make a call one team does not agree with. Since I work HS solo at this point this is not an issue I have had to deal with but my thought is to remind/expect the other official to respect the rules as well as our relationship as people will consider all of his actions and my actions as "our actions" on and off the field. I don't need to have my name associated with someone in a bad light when I have little to nothing to do with his/her actions especially living in the sue me state.

What was the issue that made the manager feel he had BOO? Bottom of the first? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Technically I am a cable guy from California! Man... I just awoke from the nicest dream. Coaches ejected and no umpires being used as a piñata. I do have issue with the don't take it away from the kids line. What kids? What ages? Little league ages and this is not happening... HS ages I would be shocked to have two coaches agree on anything like this since one is getting the short end if he agrees to the reset. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Coach that is not the rule. Put a P in the book and move on. We are not 'resetting' the inning. This is your warning. Oh, don't agree and are arguing then your Ejected. Next coach want to stay? No? EJ. Eventually they follow the rule or there will be no coaches left to argue and the game is suspended. The rookie is protected and a travesty is averted. Hope to God this train wreck never happens to me... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk