jms1425

Correction video came out today - both windups are the same, and legal. With runners on, esp R3, F1 needs to declare what he's doing. RQ Videos (refquest.com)

Here's a couple screen grabs. Still hard to tell about the 45 degree line.... Would "baseball" be willing to accept a rule or interpretation change from "45 degrees" to "within the frame of his body". That is, to "step directly to the base" means his free foot could not go closer to the plate than his front shoulder. Just a thought that crossed my mind as a way to better define this move, and to take away some of the advantage lefties have over righties for pickoffs.

Do you mean, if F1 does this once, it would count as his reset (and not a legit pickoff throw), but if he has already burned his reset, this would count as a violation? I would think if the advice is to rule it a violation because it is not a legit pickoff attempt, then it would be a reset akin to merely stepping off if F1 still has a reset to use. But, yeah, the feedback should be explicit about that.

Copied and pasted directly from Bill Haze's post on RefQuest: Play #2: Think about the definition of “Making a legitimate pickoff attempt by throwing the ball” If a pitcher makes a legal move toward 2nd base, then takes a few steps before making an easy, lazy, nonchalant throw to the fielder at 2nd base, where the runner is about to stand or is standing on 2nd base. Would this constitute “Making a legitimate pickoff attempt"? 2 Answer: The answer is no! The pitcher, based on the description of the play made, did not make a ”legitimate pickoff attempt by throwing the ball". If we allow that type of soft toss after the runner is already back to the base, the NCAA feels, we will be right back to where we were last year when the pitcher was allowed to just waive his wrist and "fake a throw" to keep a runner close. The pitcher was clearly trying to get around the rule. This would be a violation & we would add 1 ball to the count.

Well, sonofabitch.... Rule 9-3-c-1 Note: If the pitcher throws to the first or third base player who is playing off the base, a balk shall not be called if the fielder moves toward the occupied base in an attempt to retire the runner. So, conversely, if they are not making an attempt, it's a balk. but only 1st and 3rd are covered by this. Somehow, I was assuming it was any base... I was thinking along the lines of "cannot throw to an unoccupied base", etc., but really it's more related to the prohibition on faking to 1st or 3rd. Thanks for the clarification, JSam.

Would anyone here call it as U1? That is, call a balk for F1 stepping towards the plate / beyond the 45 degree mark and throwing to 1st? I had a similar play a couple years ago as U1. I almost called it, wanted to call it, still think I should have called it, but did not. I asked a few senior guys about that, and the consensus seems to be to let the PU call that violation. It really seems like U1 is in a good position to do so, but that was the feedback I got. Does anyone here have a different opinion?

If F4 or F6 cannot make a play on the runner (i.e., they are nowhere near the bag and cannot tag R2), this is a balk. This play was also covered in the video I mentioned above (2023 NCAA Baseball Video Bulletin #2, at the 5:01 mark.)

Your suggestion is *one* way to get the outgoing F1 to bat in a particular spot. The other is *while on defense* to move the F1 to the desired defensive spot and bring in either the DH or a sub to pitch. But the original issue was doing this *while on offense*, which appears to be illegal.

The opposing team was in the 1st base dugout. A minor bat flip in the direction of the other team is a bat flip in the direction of the other team. But let's call that a minor infraction. Then he's slashing across his chest underlying the school name as he rounds third near F5. OK... minor infraction. Then his teammates spill out too close to home plate as they celebrate. Well... minor infraction. But unsportsmanlike conduct is a STATED POE this year, ESPECIALLY ANY ACTIONS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE OPPONENT. Three "minor" violations on one play, any one of which is a potentially ejectable offense, given the POE this year? You're done. Not to mention.... If it's "just a minor bat flip", then why do it at all? If it's "no big deal" to slash across your chest, then why do it at all? And most importantly to me, why is this kind of thing the only kind of "fun" players can have when they're excited? Why is taunting your opponent fun in the first place? I have ZERO sympathy for the ejected player, and I am 100% in favor of efforts to eliminate this crap from the game, and all other sports, too. I am sick to death of watching players waggle their fingers, stand over opponents on the ground, and generally act like jerks. If that is what constitutes "fun", then call me the Burgermeister Meisterburger. lol

As I understand it, this is incorrect. If the batter is not in the box and alert to the pitcher with 10 seconds (or fewer) remaining, it is a violation and a penalty strike is added to the count. So if he steps in and is alert, let's say, with 12 seconds to go on the clock, he stands there for 5 seconds as the pitcher is getting a sign, then the batter backs out of the box (without time being called by the umpire), at this point he is not in the box and alert to the pitcher with 10 or fewer seconds remaining, thus in violation. Call a strike. It does not matter if the pitch is delivered - in fact, it should not be - PU should call time, announce the violation and signal the count with the penalty strike added to it. I don't know if this link will work or not, but it's the first example in the latest NCAA video (2023 NCAA Baseball Video Bulletin #2): RQ Videos (refquest.com)

On the one hand, if the team is on defense, F1 can move to F3. This would eliminate the DH, and when they come to bat, the former F1 would now bat in the 8-hole (the spot previously occupied by the former F3), while the entering F1 (or a pinch hitter, but NOT the player who was the DH, unless he entered as the pitcher) would now bat in the 2-hole (where the DH had been hitting.) If the player who was DH has entered as F1, he would hit in the same spot (the 2-hole), but he is now hitting as F1 (not DH). However, the rules (Rule 7-2-b-10) state that "The game pitcher may pinch hit or pinch run only for the DH and become the P/DH." So, if the team is on offense, and the last defensive spot a player occupied was F1, he cannot start hitting in the F3 spot (in this case, the 8-hole). So, it seems that the timing of the move from F1 to F3 matters - it cannot be done "proactively" or "pre-emptively" or whatever adverb is appropriate. It has to be done while on defense.... Right?

A friend forwarded a tweet to me about a DH situation, and I thought I would post it (in generalized form) for discussion here, because it raises an interesting issue / question. DH in the 2 hole F3 in the 8 hole The 8-hole is due up; the current F1 comes up to pinch hit, with the HC explaining that this player is going to F3 when they go back out for defense. I'll stop here and ask if this is legal, and post two possible interpretations in a further reply.

Why baseball games are so damned long | 2017 MLB Season Preview & Predictions (sbnation.com)

To elaborate on noumpere's response.... the runner is awarded the next base in this situation. If s/he advances past the awarded base, s/he is at risk of being put out. Thus, oversliding (which, in this case, I take to mean ending up on the left field side of 2nd base) would indeed be beyond the awarded base, thus the runner could be tagged out.

I suspect if F2 holds onto the ball in the first play, TCU challenges and gets an OBS call after review. I think it should have been called to begin with - but of course, it's awful easy from my office chair. Start at 11:35 - at 11:38 you can see F2 is blocking the plate, and the throw is not yet there, nor does F2 need to be in that spot. Then, as the ball nears, he stretches to maintain his blocking of the plate.

Beat ya... lol

The 2022 NCAA Video Review Regulations states, "Should a fair batted ball hit to the outfield or any foul ball catch/no catch be changed from “catch” to “no catch” or “no catch” to “catch” with runner/s on base, the guidelines in Appendix E-1-c-9 and 10 should be followed." Appendix E-1-c-9 states, "9) Changing a call of “catch” to “no catch”: The umpires may conference after a fair batted ball has been hit into the outfield or on any foul ball to determine whether the fielder did or did not make a catch. Note: If the ball is foul, it remains a foul ball. a) The ball is dead. b) The batter is placed at first base. c) Each base runner is advanced one base from the base occupied at the time of the pitch." So once this "catch" is changed via IR to a "no catch", BR is placed at 1, irrespective of anything else.

Theoretically, you could have an infinite number of challenges in a game of either type. If the coach challenges and the call is overturned, they still have 2 challenges. The crew chief can initiate a review of an eligible play anytime.

NCAA allows each coach 2 challenges per game. From Appendix E Section 2: "The following plays will be reviewable only by a coach’s challenge at any time during the game or at the crew chief’s discretion during the last two innings of regulation and any extra innings: g. Force and tag play calls at any base" The play at 3:46 is a tag play (on a force play, ironically enough), and the play at 7:33 is a force play, so really there's nothing new or unusual about these plays going to IR.

Yep - new rule this year. Only catchers are permitted to have it, it can only be one-way communication, and it can only come from the dugout.

It's a little hard to tell from the video when they focus on the runner, and it's pretty close, but it looks to me like he did cross that red line. He'd be out on appeal, imo.

Did he cross the red line during his loop? If so, he would be out on appeal. If not, he's ok.

Anything Weller. I love wheated bourbons. For $23, a 750ml of Weller Special Reserve simply can't be beat. If you can ever get your hands on a bottle of Weller 12 Year, do it. It's essentially Pappy (same distillery, same mashbill, same rickhouse), without the label and 1000% markup. But you can't find it at retail. If you do, please tell me where! LOL Four Roses Single Barrel or Small Batch Select are fantastic. Hell, the regular Small Batch is excellent, too. All of those (except Weller 12) can be had at your local liquor store. The Weller Special Reserve might be a bit hit or miss, but Four Roses is always around, at least near me. And you can't go wrong with Woodford, either. Harder to find: Eagle Rare. Michter's Small Batch or the 10 year are both amazing. Now, if you want to get outside bourbon, RedBreast Irish Whisky 12 Year is utterly fantastic, generally available, and not terribly expensive - about $65 for 750ml. I'll stop now..... lol

"On any force play, in the vicinity of the base, the runner must slide on the ground before the base and in a direct line between the two bases. It is permissible for the slider's momentum to carry him through the base in the baseline extended (see "Diagram" above). Exception - A runner need not slide directly into a base as long as the runner slides or runs in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder. Interference shall not be called." He did not slide, nor did he "run in a direction away from the fielder". He has to do one or the other. Great call.

I'll only comment on Play 1, to let others have a chance to get their takes in. Play 1: Balk; as soon as F1 steps toward 3rd and does not complete the throw, this is a balk; umpire(s) should be killing the play and awarding R3 home and R2 gets 3rd Does anyone have anything different?