The Man in Blue

I don't have a violation in any rule set because the BR had already reached first base before the put out occurred at second. (NCAA see the Exception; NFHS requires the non-slide to be an effort to prevent a double play)

Don't forget the umpires also were the cause of the two balls before that . . . and every pitch that put runners on . . . and . . .

Did the batter "strike at the pitch?" Can't really do that once it has gone by.

You are missing the point, @dumbdumb . . . Umpires suck and they are evil and they steal babies' candy and they smell and they hate kids and they only show up so people can watch them. I've heard they even like vegetables, raw and cooked.

I thought it was where you jumped two ropes while bidding.

. . . and by "regional manager" we mean the Director of Error Solutions, North Office Team, Department of Coordinating Runs and Production.

“They must be watching the Phoebe Cates scene in Fast Times at Ridgemont High again.” ”No, must be the car wash scene in Wild Things.” Nope, @derekgds just announced a new product drop.

How long are you waiting? Nothing after the interference happens, so what are you waiting for? Did F2 have a play? Was there interference? Thank you, that is all. I would rather have an explanation “to unwind when F3 makes the catch” than have to explain why I waited for F2 to muff it and then bailed him out for sucking.

No connections, but would love to join you!

Cannot see it in any of those video angles. When does Ballou call the interference? He may have done it right, he may have caused himself problems, we don’t know. Learning moment: call the interference instantly and call it loud. Do NOT wait to see what happens. Waiting makes it look as if you are bailing out a bad play.

Mesh shoes are the easiest to keep clean. Throw them in the wash with your uniform, whether that is daily when your games are over or annually when you take your “navy” shirt out of your trunk for its annual pre-season wash. “Had this shirt 32 years and it looks as fresh as the day I bought it from the local Elbeco dealer. Secret is not washing it so much.” Now … white bottoms are the abomination. (Though I did cave and get a pair of black and white Hokas for turf. Even then, they gradually get dirty and I’ve not mastered cleaning the white bottoms yet.)

Can’t stop, won’t stop …

I am filing a patent for my Double-Or-Nothing Challenge Eliminates Errors system. “Don’t let the DONCEE make an ass out of you!”

I am not saying any of us don’t miss pitches … but is this more a factor of us missing, or more a factor of the different looks that we get from different batters/catchers? I had a PITA coach who was really pushing the limits with his griping about calls the other team got versus calls his team got. In my last ditch effort to be nice, I stopped him between innings and told him to look at his catcher’s position and movement compared to the other catcher. Yeah, I am seeing two completely different things when your catcher pushes me back an extra 5 feet, won’t sit still, and thinks jerking the pitch every time is going to get him calls.

At 50% overturn rate, this is literally a coin flip. Here is my new proposal: With gambling playing a larger and larger role around the game, we should introduce it directly into the game. No limits on the number of challenges, but every one is a double-or-nothing situation. Umpire calls a strike, hitter challenges . . . challenge system upholds the call, now it is TWO strikes. Umpire calls a ball, pitcher/catcher challenges . . . challenge system upholds the call, now it is TWO balls.

Good grief, @Richvee . . . I can't do that now! I couldn't do that 25 years ago! I am not criticizing their performance, I am offering amazement based on their lifestyle. And a hint of jealousy, of course.

To be brutally fair, most of the classic rock and rollers probably should be underground by now.

🤣🤣🤣 I'm not sure if that city councilwoman said what she meant to say: "People getting high on the hillside, streaking, fighting, urinating, this is an amazing community." On a serious note, when I lived in Jackson, MS, I was told the gangs had serious fingers in youth football -- providing money for uniforms and equipment, claiming teams to represent them, and also running a gambling ring around it. I don't know if it was true, but it would makes sense with what I saw.

I am NOT, and NEVER will make that case, I am just presenting something that I have been told more than once. As I said, it is overly literal, hinging on the "with the fielder taking the throw" verbiage. I think it is one of the most ignorant interpretations I have ever heard (up there with allowing a runner to position himself in the likely throwing lane as long as he doesn't look back).

Wait . . . wait . . . how did I miss this one earlier: It is a true Schrö-Dinger

All of your "I think . . . " and "It looks like . . . " agree with the basis for the call. From the CCS article: With a lack of clear and convincing evidence to determine how to nullify the act of interference, that leaves with a peculiar ruling of overturn for the interference part of the equation, but call stands for the nullification portion. Personally, and I wouldn't stand by my own opinion on this, I don't think the video or the still provide clear evidence of either one: a potential catch or that the ball was clearly headed over the fence.

Which part do you think is nonsense? It is no different than ruling obstruction, but then ruling the obstruction didn't prevent the runner from advancing. Just because it happened doesn't mean it changed things.

I'm down with @grayhawk's answer, but here is another frustrating possibility: The overly literal application of interfering with the fielder taking the throw. Preventing the throw from getting there is not interfering with the fielder taking the throw. It is interfering with the throw, and that's not the rule says. Yes, I absolutely hate that argument, but I have heard more than a few times over the years.

Not misspeaking that I am aware of. When we talk about states, I am assuming (ASS-U-ME) we are talking NFHS state affiliates. NFHS allows dead ball appeals. South Carolina High School League reportedly made a state adoption (no dead ball appeals) that is being misunderstood, misused, or misrepresented as umpires should ignore the rule book on appeal plays. No different than any state adoption. A few years back Kentucky High School Athletic Association made a softball adoption (not sure if baseball joined in) that a catcher could not remove their helmet when chasing a fly ball. Not all state adoptions make sense.

Ha!