Cav

Yep.

Nope. I've made worse, but that call was wrong as described. Keep calling them until you get them right...for the right reasons.

I invite our comments on this 6am thought: It would be reasonable to protect R1 from obstruction while attempting to advance before but not after the ball is caught by F9 in the OP. It would be reasonable to protect R1 from obstruction while attempting to return to retouch 1B but not advance after the ball is caught by F9 in the OP.

Good call.

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You spend mucho to protect yourself from taking a shot to all parts of your body, most of which result in non-fatal outcomes. Why would anyone not spend ~$10 to protect themselves from a shot to the front of the neck (blunt neck trauma) which can be fatal? For me, it's no brainer. https://www.utmb.edu/otoref/Grnds/blunt-neck-inj-2010-12-17/blunt-neck-inj-pic--2010-12.pdf

(This may be archived, but I can't find it.) Sit: Either 2 out or less than 2 out w/1B open. B has 2 strikes. Pitch bounces in before crossing the plate (typical in my games). B swings at the pitch in the dirt for strike 3 (also typical in my games) and tips the ball directly to F2 who securely gloves the batted ball (not often in my games). Q1: Is this a foul tip? I'm going with yes (NFHS 2-6-1, 2-16-2). Q2: If not, why?

And if the offense were successful in "showing up the defense," be prepared for retaliation by the defensive team. It may come as soon as the next pitch. Sometimes soothing words whispered to the juked catcher ("Don't do anything stupid, Nimrod, even if your coach tells you to.") may head off inappropriate behavior at the HS level and below. (Just joking about the choice of guiding words. I'm sure you each could come up with something better.)

I heard (not recently) that the scissors was a prohibited plate stance in MiLB and schools. The reason I was given was that the stance left little cushion to the upper neck bones when taking a "big league" shot to the mask. In fact, it "pre-loaded" the neck structure with an "unforgiving" rigidity.

Done.

From whom, when, where and why did this come? I see no 2018 bulletins from DOD Baseball.

Either step up and lead the way for those in your group who hold you in their esteem or force Dan's hand to make the call for us all. Either way your group will notice.

Once more I say unto y'all, the only way we umpires can get stupid rules changed is to enforce them. The bigger the game in which they are called, the quicker it gets on NFHS' radar. As much as they shirk this responsibility to avoid being that guy, it is the burden of the top dogs to lead the way in doing so.

Had a DH back in the day wherein it was "absolutely essential" that they get these games in. Problem: It was snowing and blowing. Bigger problem: Big Kahuna Partner was "up north" from Florida and wanted to work the games. Long story short: The infield had been covered and in good shape. The outfield was white and accumulating more. We started with Kahuna on the dish and the wind at his back. I was concerned about the safety of the BUs (specifically me) and the corners because the visibility was impeded by the driving snow blowing horizontally into our faces and particularly or eyes. But, I acquiesced to the superior talent and judgment of my crewmembers...until a shot up the middle (I'm in deep B) rolls out to CF and gets lost under the snow. I could see its track but not the ball. We're done!

If clarity is what you seek, then a baseball rules book, the NFHS' in particular, is the last place you would want to look for it. A point of clarification: The players comprising the battery at NFHS 2-13-4 are infielders, too. (Special infielders if you were to ask them.) The rules govern their overthrows the same as those from all other infielders. Smarter umpires than me have stated something to the effect, if it's not in the rules, then it's not against the rules. Linguists can argue the use of the plural noun "players" and how it applies to the words "left field, right field and center field" because that science is well above my pay grade. I'm sticking with the interpretation below from OHSAA DOD Baseball Bulletin 15-1: Being 99% of the time a pull hitter, the defense puts on an infield shift when the batter comes up to bat with a runner on first base. The shortstop plays almost behind second base, with the second baseman 2/3 of the way to first base from second. The third baseman goes into shallow right field, between the second baseman and the right fielder. True to form, the batter hits a soft "Texas Leaguer" just over the second baseman. The third baseman, playing in right field, runs in to scoop the ball on one hop and throws to first base in an attempt to put out the runner. At the time of his throw, the runner from first base (off on a steal attempt) has touched second base, but the batter has not yet reached first. The throw sails into the dugout. Next comes an argument from both coaches as to the proper awards. The offense says it is two bases from the time of the throw and so the runner who had touched second should score. The defense says the award is two bases from the time of the pitch, so no run should be scored. There is nothing illegal with this formation, and we as umpires just have to recognize that, in this play, the third baseman is now really an outfielder. So, when he throws the ball into dead ball territory, the award is two base, from the time of the throw. So, for this play, we will score the runner from first who had rounded second at the time of the throw, and place the batter-runner at second base. That is what the umpires did in this game, and then had the opportunity to explain that the third baseman was not really an infielder to the coach. If we allowed this, then all a coach would have to do is list his right fielder as the first baseman on the lineup card, and then play him in right field; any throw of his (for the most part) would be 2 bases from the time of the pitch. Not legal, but nice try.

Senor Azul posts are correct.. Players physically positioned in the outfield at the TOP are outfielders. NFHS 2-13-2 allows multiple fielders to play outfield, not just three. NFHS 2-13-3 describes all other fielders as infielders. If F5 were in shallow (or deep) RF at the TOP, then he's an outfielder and his overthrows are ruled accordingly.. OHSAA's DOD Baseball Bulletin 15-1 (February 23, 2015) clarified this play almost verbatim.

1. Drop softball. 2. Make yourself available for any and all baseball games. 3. Get the best you can afford now. Take care of it so it protects you while you have it. Enjoy the smile on the face of another new umpire when you give it to him after you can afford to upgrade your starting kit.

POE: Enforcement and Administration of NFHS Rules …Other rules codes have significantly different objectives and rationales for their rules. When non-approved interpretations or rulings that are contradictory to NFHS rules as written are used, they can confuse students, coaches, umpires and fans. Here in Ohio, we umpires are admonished to know and enforce the rules, all the rules. Pitchers showing up at state tourneys using the hybrid position because “He’s done that all year!” or running lane violations that don’t get called or team personnel allowed to sit outside their dugouts are but a few examples among many that are sometimes and sometimes not enforced. Some forgotten instructor in a long ago Michigan clinic once said something to the effect: Use your good judgment for the gray areas; the rulebook for the black and white. And, if enough of us would consistently enforce the Mickey Mouse rules, they just might get changed. It’s happened before: e.g.; coach assisting a runner, BR overrunning 1B, R1 at 1B. (Just joking about that last one...or was I?)

One motion, no problem. Separate motions, Houston!

Pre-game it. Dugout dope behind your PU's back crosses the line, then go get it. Pathetic parents spewing hate speech towards anyone, then sic the yard dog on them before another pitch is delivered.

All good. All good. It's but one little part of my pre-season work up. Push ups? Check. Crunches? Check. Gig line? Check. In-my-face-argument preventer? Check.

I don't eat them! That would be gross. I just keep them warm.

Well, egg on my face! Apparently I took the wrong test. So, I zipped through the "right" test and scored 92%. I wait with BAITed breath (It is ice fishing season. Ha!) to see what I missed.

I took the test. I did not "take my time." I did it closed-book. I scored 88%. The only feedback was to look in the rulebook and study "these areas." I would rather know which question I missed and what the "most acceptable" response was of the available choices. I'll grant you that tests are tough to write, but I wasn't favorably impressed with this one. Likewise, "they" probably aren't favorably impressed with the effort I gave it. Have a fun and safe season when the snow melts.

I recall the day (low 70s, partly cloudy, light breeze blowing to the RF corner, dinosaur droppings everywhere) when Roder said that a batter was allowed the unobstructed opportunity to hit a pitch until the pitch was complete, even if it meant throwing his bat at the ball still moving on the ground or in the air UNTIL it passed the foul line or plate [sic]. I may be wrong, but I've abided by that guidance for the last few decad...years.