BigBird

There was a clipping iin the newspaper a few years ago where the umpire called the game due to lightning (30 minutes went past the games time limit). 2 kids and their fathers went out on the field and were playing catch.. umpires, coaches and other team members and parents were leaving when they got struck. I think the two kids were killed. When push came to shove, the umpire made the correct call. The two kids parents were too stupid to realize that and the two kids are dead because of that. Never second guess this type of call. This is not about the game, but purely about safety. As has been stated before, no game is worth someones life.

I have found that most umpires who call "strike 3, batters out", are fresh of the Little League ranks and they get into that bad habit (because caught or un-caught are not relevant in majors and below.)

Here is the best way to think of this play... All RUNNERS get 1 base from the time of the pitch... which is when the pitcher starts their motion. The batter-runner at that time, was just a batter, so they are NOT applicable to that award, only runners at TOP are.. They do get the award of 1st base on the walk.

I worked a LL majors level district tournament about 5 years ago. (I still do them, but this game was about that long ago.) Score was 22-0 before home team came to bat. 32-0 after 2 innings. I actually walked over to the visiting teams coach and told her "I am calling anything nose to toes and batters box to batters box... except your girls are hitting anything even remotely close to that." The coach agreed, please get this thing over with (of course by this time, she had seen her girls hit several balls that were over the head or at the feet for base hits. When that team was up, I was not calling much of anything. Can't call it till it gets to the catcher and that day, not much was getting that far. Final score, 48-8 after 4 innings (LL mercy rule.) The visitors were swinging at everything even pitches that sailed to the backstop or bounced.. because the coach told them to. When the game starts to get ugly, sometimes the only thing you can do is expand the zone to try to get it overwith faster. That game, I felt bad for the losing team. That is a horrible way to lose but sometimes it happens.

Offensive indifference is not always considered as intentional (how many times does an offensively indifferent R1 get plunked in the back when F3 throws to second trying for the out.) and should not be treated as such (and any documented interp that says otherwise, needs to find file 13). You have a whole series of things to think about before you can rule properly. 1. Did the runner show intent to interfere.. if yes, out.. no more thinking needed... If not, continue 2. Was the runner doing as they were supposed to? This one is a bit more detailed, but if the runner is in the act of crossing home plate, you have nothing.. if the runner is just standing there, you may have something. If the runner has crossed but is in the act of stopping his/her momentum, you probably have nothing. 3. When the runner started for the dugout, was the ball still rattling about the backstop? Anotherwards, did the runner have any idea where a possible throwing lane may occur. If the answer to this is yes, the offensive indeference comes into play, where the ex-runner should have paid attention... if the answer is no, the catcher had to stop the ball, the runner was trying to guess. I would not call this one as the runner is trying to get in the clear. 4. Was there intent on F2 to hit the runner with the ball? If yes, you have nothing (and the players will think of and try this when you least expect it, trying to entice an INT call.) In short, there is no short answer here. It is pure judgement on the calling umpires part as to how to rule. As a TD, I would not touch this one as a judgement call that cannot be protested.

I participated in a 2 pitch inning once (as a player). First batter fly out, second batter, no-pitch IBB, second pitch, 6-4-3 DP... inning over...

I guess I would have to say that a game I did 4 years ago. 2 things happened that would make any umpire feel good. Moreso since I was not there to call the game, but to watch my son play. It was a LittleLeague game and it came to game time. I looked around and realized 2 things, 1) No umpires have showed up and 2.) I was the only member of our BOD on site as well. First part of this happens as I got to let the coaches know that nobody is here yet and if they are not here in 5, they get me. The first dugout I come to is my son's team where the players immediately ask if I am calling the game and groan when I indicate that "I don't know". I then walk to the other dugout where their players immediately start asking me to do the game. They all know me and know my son. The coach says ok and I walk back to the stand to wait but get met with a phone from the league prez - Umps called off, can you do it. I get dressed and walk onto the field to the plays cheers. No doubt that tells you how the players think of you. 3 days later, I got up to the field to watch a game that has major championship implications. My son is not involved but the team they had played is. One of the parents from that team come up to me where I sat with my wife and league secretary and makes this comment: "That game on Saturday, I know your son is on the other team but that was the most fair and consistant game I have seen in 3 years. How can you call your own son's game that well?" My reply is simply, "when I put the gear on, I am no longer a fan and he is no longer my son. He is merely a player at that point. Any 'great job' cheers are done in the car on the way home." The two incidents were certainly the best I have had up to this point.