LRZ

I was responding to TMIB's blanket statement, "DO NOT WORK GAMES SOLO as a standard practice."

Refusing to work solo at lower levels is simply not feasible here, because of the dire shortage of umpires; virtually all small-field games would go un-umpired. Besides, most of these games--not all, but most--are played without much hassle from coaches and parents. However, umpires should boycott venues or events where abuse is chronic.

Just as I suspected: the pitchers couldn't find the plate because they were blinded by the discordant color scheme! (I jest, of course.)

The problem may have stemmed from your mask pads: did they match your ball bags?

This is a partially facetious, partially serious suggestion: a new section, FAQs, maybe with subheadings. It might not be feasible, I understand that.

We've answered the OP--and then some! The horse is now a bloody carcass! Thunderheads, LMSANS, any reason not to lock this up?

Did the MLBUA have any input, any say?

Who determines whether the umpire is correct or not, especially on a call like this, with no clear, enunciated standard? Let's see how this would work. I see a swing and am sure about it, so I call a strike; I then say to my partner, "DarylM, did he go?" DarylM says, "No, he didn't." Even allowing for subjective differences in determining how far is too much for a swing, how do we know who is correct? Umpires are taught to "own their calls." This pertains particularly to judgment calls. If I have a bang-bang play at first and call the batter-runner out because, in my judgment, the throw beat him, I might be wrong, I might be right, but I'm not going to my partner for his judgment.

And throughout U-E, no one ever, ever--and I mean NEVER--goes off on a tangent!

There are so many more important things to worry about, things that actually affect play. IMO.

Of course we practice preventive officiating, but that was not my question. And I don't make FU calls, so I would never reply to a coach, "OK, have it your way. Ball!"

Mindful of the recent thread about pitching from the set without a discernible stop, I'll ask: from the wind-up, wouldn't this be a quick-return/illegal pitch, with the penalty a called ball? I do not work FED.

Even without injury issues, we all face increasing physical limitations simply because of our aging. This decline (if you will) is magnified by injuries. In your case, Mussgrass, recognize your physical limitations and don't measure your performance by what you could do before your injury. As has already been suggested, adapt your umpiring to your physical limitations.

DarylM: Umpires don't guess, or at least, we're not supposed to. If the umpire sees a swing, it's a strike; if he/she doesn't or is unsure, it's a ball. In the latter case, we may go to our partner, either on our own motion or at the request of the defense.

IMO, some things should not be for sale. YMMV.

Daryl, it is because of what the rules allow and prohibit. Here is the relevant language of OBR 8.02(c) Comment: The manager or the catcher may request the plate umpire to ask his partner for help on a half swing when the plate umpire calls the pitch a ball, but not when the pitch is called a strike. . . . Appeals on a half swing may be made only on the call of ball and when asked to appeal, the home plate umpire must refer to a base umpire for his judgment on the half swing. Should the base umpire call the pitch a strike, the strike call shall prevail. [My emphases.] Consequently, if the plate umpire calls a strike on a checked swing, the batter has no recourse. This, of course, does not address why there is the distinction in the rules, but my guess it is as noumpere said: "Something that happened, but was missed can be appealed. If the PU saw the batter swing, he didn't miss the action."

Careful on that one. This could easily lead to appeasement. One of the few partners I've ever blocked was so concerned about the paying customers--coaches, players, spectators--that he had zero regard for HIS teammate, the other umpire.

I can't speak to NFHS, but didn't MLB change the "foul tip" definition a year or two ago? Catch, foul tip, foul ball...since the change, the answer, in MLB, is the same.

There are zombie threads and then there are zombie issues.

The runner gets third, as aaluck said. Here's why. The adage about base awards is "one from the rubber [ie, the pitcher in contact with the rubber], two from the field." Then the question becomes from the time of the pitch or time of the throw. In the OP, there is no pitch, so the award is time of throw, here from secondbaseman to firstbaseman. Also note that the award is two bases from the base legally occupied at the time of the throw [ie, first], not "one in the direction he's running [ie, back to first], then a second base awarded forward." We disposed of that myth for baseball in a thread several days ago.

Jeff, if you are an umpire, join up. Lots of good advice, opinions (even when folks take opposite sides!), references and citations to rules and mechanics.

Why is that?

If I understand maven's point, it is "stare" = "acknowledge" on the I-A-W-E scale, not "identify."

If I recall correctly, this is not correct. The manager can recall players from the clubhouse to substitute into the game.

I'm curious: if it reaches that point, why take this route, instead of having site administration/tournament director remove the obstreperous spectator?