goody14

Someone wrote an entire book on the Hidden Ball Trick. Has anyone read this? http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hidden-Ball-Trick-Baseballs/dp/144224433X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1427472646&sr=1-1 It is pretty expensive - wondering if it is worth the dough.

I could probably dream up a situation where the obstruction of one runner causes another runner to be put out as he is trying to advance (and he only tried to advance due to the obstruction). This is not one of them. Seems like R1 was already trying for 2B when the obstruction occurred. I have three outs.

Welcome. Ask lots of questions and you will learn a bunch. (Most) people are pretty patience with questions even if they are dumb ones like the ones I ask.

Sounds like the guy was right and then woefully misguided. The right part: there are no force outs when there is an infield fly. The misguided part: a throw to retire a runner who did not tag up is not a force - it is an appeal. As described the call was not right.

Check 8-2-5 and case play 8.2.5 A - an appeal is needed

Pretty good timing and poise (especially in context of extra innings)

Why wouldn't his succeeding base be third base? If memory serves, this is one of those differences between rule sets. In OBR, it matters what you do after the ball becomes dead (so he could not continue on to 3rd and then retreat). FED it matters where you are when the ball became dead (he was already past 2B so he is a dead duck - if appealed).

Yeah, this is a good one. I remember reading it back when I was in college and just starting to umpire. I read it after completing The Glory of Their Times which is a oral history of early baseball from the players point of view (and also very good). I was a bit of a baseball history buff back in the day. It has been a while since I have read it. Sounds like it might be a good one to dust off.

One last update: Kindle and Apple iBooks went live this morning for those that like digital books.

I had not really thought of it. I have a face for radio/print so maybe I can find some folks to help me out. To those that ordered, the delays with Amazon are finally letting up. I am getting word that copies are starting to be shipped.

THAT is rather misleading. Given the clause you have quoted, it is false to conclude that "If the ball hits a runner and satisfies those conditions, he is out no matter where he is standing." Your ellipsis omits the crucial qualification "...before the ball has touched or passed an infielder." With the infield in, it is not unusual for R1 to be hit by a batted ball behind F3, and that runner would NOT be out. Better to quote the whole rule if you're going to bother with it. Good call out - I got lazy.

Rule 7.08 states a runner is out when (f) he is touched by a fair ball in fair territory.... If the ball hits a runner and satisfies those conditions, he is out no matter where he is standing (with the infield fly exception stated by others noted)

If you're into preening self-congratulatory smugness, then he's incredibly entertaining. Jon Stewart and Bill Maher, too. I dunno about those crazy Missouri republicans, but at least I don't have to come across their nonsense when I'm channel surfing. You could make a reasonable argument that someone who does not like preening self-congratulatory people should not hang out with umpires... A lot of people in our brotherhood are like that. But, hey, I like what I like and you don't that is fine. Some people like/love Radiohead and I think it is pretentious, whiny noise. To each their own...

I think John Oliver and his show are pretty darn entertaining.

For anyone else looking to see some samples, our website is live at www.betterrulebook.com There is a samples link among the links at the top of the page.

Agree - this one seems pretty cut and dried...no run(s) can score on a play if the third out is the BR before he legally reaches 1B. In regards to note 8-2-3 note: Any runner who misses the first base to which he is advancing and who is later called out shall be considered as having advanced one base. I always thought this note was put in for situations like CI and balks where the penalty is disregarded if all needed parties get one base. Imagine there is CI but a batter still puts one down the RF line. He winds up on 2B but misses 1B. Defense properly appeals and gets an out. The OHC now comes out and says, "my batter did not get at least one base, so I want the penalty for CI assessed". This clause makes it where this cannot happen.

The book was formally edited by pros. I had one person edit the text and another edit the sample plays. The post in this thread was not edited by anyone . It is always dangerous to let a statistician into the wild. Mr. Umpire - shoot me your email address and I can send you a sample.

Some buddies and myself wrote this rule book primer: http://www.amazon.com/RuleGraphics-Professional-Baseball-Dennis-Goodman/dp/099611050X/ref=zg_bsnr_266218_15 Idea was to take all pertinent information about a rule (rule book language, sample plays, key points, pictures - which by the way were done by a professional artist and are awesome) and put them all on one page. Then we organize the pages in an easy to follow manner. Think Infographics but for baseball rules. Note: this is more of a reference guide and not a book substitute. To umpire effectively, you need to read the entire book and supplemental materials. Regardless, I do think this has a place among casual fans, coaches and beginning umpires. I am looking for feedback on the project. I have a few advance copies in my possession - if anyone is interested, send me a PM with your address and I can flip you one. Or, I could send off a .pdf. Or, even better - you could go and buy one! I think this is a good idea and a great way to present the rules. We are proud of the result after over 12 months of working on it.

Page 8 in this new rule book primer/reference project... http://www.amazon.com/RuleGraphics-Professional-Baseball-Dennis-Goodman/dp/099611050X/ref=zg_bsnr_266218_15

Back from the camp. Good experience, good instructors, great to see some pitches this early, and overall some tips and things to work on to help me improve.

If that is FED's intention, then it is written in a confusing manner. "B1 squares to bunt and hits the pitch. The batted ball bounces off the plate and hits B1's (a) leg or, (b) bat a second time while B1 is holding the bat in the batter's box (no foot is entirely outside of the batter's box)." In my opinion, when you put the phase in parenthesis you are using it to define the statement immediately before the parenthesis or what being in the batter's box means. Writing in this style would lead to some of the worst SAT reading comprehension questions ever like.... Question 1: Read this statement - "Clara got to vote today (she is 26)". How old do you have to be to vote? a) At least 26 b) The minimum number in some subset of whole numbers of which 26 is a member c) Any age up to recently deceased in Chicago d) All of the above

I will be there. Making the drive up from Indy.

Out of curiosity, what were the arguments for this being illegal?

Besides the philosophical problems with this - namely, why fiddle with something that has an unknown effect on the game, here are my two questions. 1) How on earth would this be enforced. Say the rule is that no more than two infielders on one side of the field. Wouldn't you just put the SS right near second base and then time of pitch they take two quick steps to the other side. Basically they just run into position. 2) What would be the penalty?

If he wants to come in and make changes, how about change something that matters.... Lift all blackouts or logically re-write the regions. The MLB blackout rules are just terrible. That would make him popular.