Double Up

Okay, so yesterday I had two things occur and I’m curious how you all would handle it. Doesn't matter the rule set, happy to hear anything you have for me. 1st I had a fake tag being decoyed at home plate. 2nd I had a BR yelling “I got it” on a fly ball in the infield

Preach the gospel! That was my statement, almost verbatim "Tell the AD he should pay for another guy" These games are just pre-season scrimmages, but everyone wants to forget why we're there to begin with. to get the work in, see some live AB's, and learn from the situations. Appreciate all the feedback, I agree, the delay of game should have been handled differently. It's even pre-season for the umpires.

I concur, throwing to an unoccupied base. while making a play on a runner is legal, even while in contact.

NfHS rule set. Hello all, and thank you in advance for your replies I can't explain all that went on in yesterday's games, it would take me a lifetime But to start, what is the proper mechanics and enforcement of calling a strike for a batter's failure to maintain one foot in the box between pitches? This wasn't on my field, but it was described as the batter wandering down the line and taking some time getting back in the box after a routine pitch, for this he was warned. An exchange occurred, and the umpire issued the batter a warning for what I'll call "delay of game", for lack of a better term. Well, the player said something profane and was then warned for that as well. The next pitch is delivered, and again, the batter takes his time getting ready for the next pitch. The umpire then instructs the batter that wherever the next pitch is thrown, it is going to be a strike. Pitch comes. Of course, it's nowhere close, umpire makes his call, "Strike", batter loses his $#@@ so to speak, drops another profanity, and gets dumped as a result. Now, legitimate ejection, no doubt, but how about the enforcement of the called strike? I thought that when I read about this rule, the umpire would call a strike and a strike would be added to the count without the pitch being thrown, I don't call many NFHS games, that's why I don't know the correct enforcement at the NFHS level. but calling the obvious ball, a strike is always going to set the place ablaze. The most interesting thing in my game was a LHP who, with R1 in place, decided he would go windup. He threw a pitch from the windup, and the runner didn't run. The next pitch. he threw from the stretch after the coach yelled at him to "go from the stretch". How soon did he forget because the third pitch, the LHP toes the rubber in the windup position. Now, I'm intrigued by his setup, so I'm pretty focused on his feet in how he's now set up for the next pitch In my fixation, apparently, there was a small hitch the hands, and R1 takes off for 2B. I'm single man, and watch the LHP step off correctly and throw to 2B where R1 is thrown out. The offensive coach wants the balk, I tell him, I have legal disengagement. I could have missed the hands, but on subsequent windup deliveries, I didn't see any real hitch of the hands while in the wind up. what I have learned from this one is that the hands can also be considered the start of the wind-up delivery. That's never really been anything I was explicitly watching for, so it's one more for the memory banks. IDK, maybe the coach made it up, again, I didn't see anything egregious in looking at the hands while in the windup. The coach, to further articulate his point mentioned something about "the pitcher's hesitation" which was also something I did not see. So there you go. Thanks for the engagement. I look forward to the comedic relief as well as the detailed case book chronicals

thanks for the clarification.

is the answer the same if the BR fails to touch 1B? What if it was 3b or Homplate?

funny you should mention that because that was one thought that had occurred, it's really difficult if not impossible to balk to second base, provided one clears the rubber in making the move to 2B. I guess that theory has been disproven.

my thoughts exactly.

Morning. After another weekend of fun at the local youth baseball tournament, I thought I'd ask the group to weigh in. OBR R1 and R3. F1 makes an inside move to 2B which is unoccupied, no throw, just step offs in the direction of 2B. R1 does not leave early, in fact, R1 does not even run on the leg lift. I suspect this is a balk. the ball was not thrown, but the move was made to a unoccupied base. the umpire justified the inside move to second base as a "step off" and no balk was enforced.

I later learned this. thanks!

Okay, I own that i may not have enforced this correctly, but it made perfect sense to me at the time. R2 is headed home on a hit in the gap. The Catcher, without the ball, is blocking the plate wating for the ball. R2 with nowhere to go does not slide, but rather drops the shoulider full steam into score. The play at the plate wasn't even close, but the lowering of the shoulder to blow up the catcher is not tolerated. I scored the run, but ejected the player for unsportsman like conduct. Pitcher secured the ball, which prevented the BR from advancing any further, but let's say BR keeps on running into score as well... we would most certainly have ourselves a situation to deal with. Let me have it. OBR and NFHS ( if theres a difference)

I'm calling out for the runner being out of the base path on the attempted tag. Easy one for me with the replay. I'm honestly surprise the call onthe field was overturned, unless the 3rd base or 2nd base saw this clearly.

there it is. clear as day. thanks!

This was an oddity. P throws to pick off at a baserunner at 2b. R2 slides back in safely, but the ball was thrown in the dirt and gets lodged in R2's helmet. I didnt realize it at the time, it just seemed that ball may have struck the runners face, so I granted him the time, then realizing that ball went in between his extended cheek guard. I'm aware of the basic 1 base awards for the lodge ball in the Catchers equipment, fence, padding, etc from the pitcher. but was not immediately quite sure if this also fell into that category.

Thank you, understood.

This doesn't happen often, but I think it's occurred twice this month, thus the question. Pitched ball is rolling around the back stop, on a ball 4, base on balls. The player on deck intentionally reaches down and picks up the ball. I basically just killed the play, with the single base on ball award. Similarly, Thrown ball gets away from the catcher at the plate, the player on deck intentionally reaches down and picks up the ball as the runner crosses the plate and the batter runner is rounds second. I basically just killed the play, placing the BR on the last legal base obtained. I realize intentional interference normally results in someone being out, but was not entirely sure about these voluntary actions by upcoming batters.

Agreed, on so many points. I appreciate the feedback. It's definitely an art not a science. I learned a long time ago as a coach, how to approach an umpire with " What did you see" and those guys who "ask" rather than "tell" normally are not the problem. And generally, in a well officiated game, things don't go too far off the rails. I think I'm approachable, and don't mind explaining what I saw or a rules interpretation, I really just want to become a little better at managing conflict as it seems to just be part of the game. I don't mind hearing the arguments, hell; they might have a point. What I will not tolerate however is the sarcasm and attempts to undermine my authority, those types of comments go no further than said, and I'll let that be known. I don't generally have problems with teams that I've done game for in the passed, it's always the team that have never seen me on their field before. I think I'm going to apply thought of "don't argue with stupid" when having to deal with thing like this. .. keep the game moving should certainly be the focus in these cases because it doesn't matter how sensible you might explain yourself, some guys are passed the point of no return and when you as the umpire fire back, onlookers criticize your handling of the situation. I understand now that it's basically a winless proposition in more cases than not.

Curious to hear some of your advice for conflict management beyond the typical toss

Perfecto! thank you as always Senor!

sanity check

OBR 1 out with R1 and R3. Fly ball hit to F9, and caught. R1 was stealing 2B on the pitch and has to scramble back to 1B to tag up. Meanwhile, R3 tags up and crosses home plate just before R1 is put out for failing to tag up at 1B. Does the run count?

Easy enough

OBR Scenario: - R1 steals on a Hit and run play, BR hits a fly ball to RF which is then caught. - R1 is now standing on 2B, unaware the ball has been caught. Instead of throwing the ball into 1B, the player in the RF position throws to F6 who applies a tag to the runner standing on top of 2B. Now I understand the runner should be out for his failure to retouch 1B before advancing, but can you apply a tag to a player standing on top a base?

lol