goody14

OK - I get that this might be to ticky tacky to call at a lower level. To help my game management skills, what do I say to the OHC that sees the start/stop and wants the balk called? Thanks for the help.

So this establishes that once he steps off the rubber he is the same as an infielder. So I would reasonably say the pitching provisions (eg making a throw to a base and not a fielder) no longer apply. Not sure how this would apply as the pitcher is actually trying to retire a runner. Not that it should matter given he is off the rubber. In my mind, once he disengages he can do the chicken dance followed to a throw to F3 20 feet off the bag. I might think it is weird...but weird is not illegal.

6-1-1 PENALTY I would never call this, mainly because I have no idea whether or when he's taking a sign. I would certainly penalize a quick pitch, though I usually prevent them by killing it when he comes set before the batter is ready. I have only called this once in my life. Lefty straddling rubber, vigorously shaking head as if he is shaking off sign, snaps a throw to first. Maybe I grabbed the wrong end of stick on that one...

A. Depends on rule set. B. If he persists after warning (OBR), it's an ejection, not removal from the mound. C. This should just about never be enforced. Wouldn't an ejection remove him from the mound? Depends on how long his limbs are...

This play happened to me in a JV game last week. Coach was a known "rule guy" who umpires summer ball in our association and came out in a calm manner and asked "his two bases and back to 1st and then 2nd". I told him nope he gets 3rd. He leaves without an argument. 2 innings later he is reporting subs. With a smile, I ask him how many umpires he trips up on that placement situation. His response "more than I should".

Although it's true that the act of fielding is not a play, making a catch and putting out the BR is a play. So the award is 2 bases, TOT, and R1 must retouch or be liable to be out on appeal. OBR 7.05(g) is similar. I think FED actually has another sentence buried in 8-3-5 that is apt: Of course, I don't really know what they mean by "prevented" by a ball going into dead ball territory. Outside of that, they appear to be very clear that a ball into DBT after a catch is 2 bases TOP.

ABUA Premium Membership is $75. It says they cover $3MM in liability. That is 40,000 chunks of $75. At that rate, I would expect I would meet 45,000 - 50,000 umpires (if not more) before I meet one that used it. (I am sure the math gets muddled when you add in deductibles and the claims being 3 $1MM chunks, but the overall concept is this - low cost and high reward means there is a very small occurrence...or an actuary loses their wings).

It is high school. They are two teams from Northwest Indiana - about 30 minutes from Chicago. Assuming this is 2014 video, Portage played and beat Merrillville 10-0 last Saturday (http://www.portage.k12.in.us/Page/749) Merrillville is the team batting in this video. Since we know they got 0 runs...this was either called MC or there was a successful appeal of a 3rd or 4th out. So, I just spent 10 minutes to tell you exactly what you already knew (I guess it does rule out any scenarios without appeals as a run would have scored then)...this is the type of value I bring daily. The local newspapers did not cover the game in their on-line additions.

Does this actually ever happen? Any video of this...I am being completely serious. I know it is in the rules, but minus Jim Evans' Balk Video, I have never seen it "in the wild". I would think it would be effective. Imagine a 3-2 counts with 2 outs and runners on base. Pitcher switches to the windup and pulls this move out.

http://m.mlb.com/video/v32819727/?query=odor I noticed they gave the runner 1B only. I could not find the rule in OBR that covers this. Searching for "lodge" and get a few things for pitches but not batted balls. (This is usually where someone posts the cite in 3 seconds and I look like an idiot) Is this just an accepted interpretation to give one base? It is 2 bases in FED, right (8-3-3 (c ))?

Question for the vets... For FED, is this an instance where you take into account the skill level of the players? For instance is it an almost automatic DP at varsity, less at JV, and even less for Freshman? Or do you save the headache and just get 2?

I don't have a better name... All I know is they are masters at working the box...or the slot. But, if they don't pay enough attention, their spouses will work the scissors.

Is the rule (only call the out on the base if intentional interference) the same in FED? 8-4-2 (g) discusses hindering a fielder fielding the ball but it has no additional language for a player being on a base. Does that mean there is no protection or is it buried somewhere else in the book?

I had 4 last night in an 18-16 (not ages of players mind you...that was the score) JV "contest". One kid had two start/stop balks with the second one causing a run to score. I see the coach coming out to me... Coach: "Sir, I don't think my pitcher or I understand why we are getting balked" Me (looking at the pitcher): "Do you understand what you did" F1: "Yeah, I started up and stopped" Me: "Coach, I think he understands, let's play ball" One of the easiest conversations of my life.

Probably twisting this in my head, but I cannot tell is Maven and Grayhawk are saying the same thing. Grayhawk says no catch. Maven says as long as something in, he is in and he is where we was until he gets somewhere (so one foot in air is still considered in). So, is he saying it is a catch?

If you have logged more time pantless in the back seat of cars in your 30s than 20s... (this might also be indicative of me being a math/stats major as well)

Sort of related...caseplay 8.1.1Q says if a batter is wearing one of those on his waist and a pitch hits it, he does NOT get 1B.

If the pre-school letter of the day is "U" and your son takes an umpire figure and tells everyone this is daddy.

When umpires disagree on a base award, this falls under 9.01c in the rule book and the umpires should have a dance off to settle the dispute. Only if players surround them in a half circle snapping their fingers during said dancing...

I would love a timer feature on an indicator. That way you can keep time limit without having to bury a watch in your pocket or ball bag (my association does not allow watches on your person).

At minimum, the teams will learn to play this out. I suppose the CF should have thrown to second just to cover his backside. Of course if he does this, then the other manager will have to decide if the challenge would be worth it (might be if batter was a faster runner).

The sticky part about this one is runner placement. I think you can make a pretty reasonable argument that if it had been ruled no-catch on the field, the runner originally on first would have forced out at second. I wonder if that is what Ventura was talking about after the ruling.

Thx...I had that all kinds of mixed up.

Is this OBR or FED? Because in OBR wouldn't the batter be automatically out and ball dead via 6.05(l) unless the ball was not intentionally dropped. Also, assuming an intentionally dropped ball, am I reading my FED book right that the ball is not dead (batter is still out due to IFF)? Rule 5-1-1(j) EXCEPTION

I use the hammer mechanic for a called strike. I am worried if I use the same mechanic for a swinging strike people will think I am calling the batter out. Am I over thinking this or is it better to use a slightly different mechanic on a swinging strike than a called strike?