BigBlue4u

Unusual, however I believe a case could be made that, in his case, he is not committed to pitch until he moves his left foot which then becomes part of his pitching motion. If, later, he started swinging his arms, then delivered a pitch, I would call a balk because he changed his delivery making the swinging of his arms a part of his delivery motion.

Is this from the same source that gave us this: Why Umpires Put Their Hands in Their Pockets In baseball, umpires sometimes place one or both hands in their pockets during a game for practical, safety, and positioning reasons. 1. Stability and consistency in judging pitches When umpires are in the catcher’s box, they often use their hands to “lock in” for the pitch. Putting a hand in a pocket can help them maintain a steady base, keep their height and eye level consistent for every pitch, and avoid shifting their weight too much Reddit. 2. Protection from foul balls A hand in a pocket can shield the wrist or forearm from being struck by a foul tip or errant pitch, especially in high-speed situations Reddit+1. 3. Communication and positioning cues In some cases, umpires use hand placement to signal to the catcher or other players. For example, placing a hand on the catcher’s back can help the catcher know where the umpire is and can also serve as a cue if the catcher starts to move backward Calendar-Canada.ca. 4. Comfort and routine For experienced umpires, this is a familiar, comfortable position that allows them to focus on the game without overthinking small movements. It’s a subtle but consistent part of their officiating style. 5. Safety in high-contact situations In youth or amateur baseball, umpires may avoid touching players during live action, but in professional play, this hand-in-pocket stance can be a quick, non-intrusive way to maintain control and safety. In short, umpires put their hands in their pockets to stay steady, protect themselves, communicate, and maintain a consistent, professional stance while making calls Reddit+1.

JSam21, Thanks for the explanation and the link.

Does anyone know why it is taking so long for replays in televised LL Regional playoff games? I've seen a number of replays where the first replay clearly shows what happened, yet it takes several minutes to come to a decision.

For your partner, umpiring 101. If you are going to brush off the plate without calling "time," know what the runners are doing and who has the ball and what is he/she doing.

Good example of being at the right place at the right time. Good luck to your mentee. I wish him well.

I understand your thinking. But let's look at it from another perspective. How can you be sure what the coach is doing? In this situation, the umpire is going to get the dirty end of the stick if he accuses the coach of violating the rule without positive proof. If the umpire has positive proof, then, by all means, enforce the rule as written.

We can argue all day about the strike zone. The most important element is, is the umpire consistent? Batters can adjust if an umpire is consistent. If the umpire is not consistent, then it's everyone for himself.

Unless I missed it, nobody has asked the most important question: Did a fielder have a reasonable chance to field the batted ball. Yes, runner is out. No. Then the ball is live and in play.

Let's look at it this way: What possible advantage can a coach gain by scrolling, texting and answering a call? Nothing comes to my mind. How about yours?

From the NFHS NFHS - Baseball Rules.url

To the credit of MLB, umpires are now getting the benefit of working call-up games before becoming a full-time MLU. I'm sure many of you remember the days when a newly hired MLU would go straight from AAA to the ML.

Another example of why it is so important for coaches/managers to have a decent knowledge of the rules. If this happened to a coach with adequate rules knowledge, he would have lodged a protest in a heartbeat.

I'm not very good at math. So, whatever is out there, is what I'll umpire.

Here's a perfect example of calling for common-sense umpiring. Call the strike, call "time" and have a short conversation with the coach about him calling "time." The first question would be, "What was that all about?" I would then politely warn him that he would be restricted to the dugout if it happens again. Since there was no advantage gained since the pitch was called a strike and nothing else happened, I believe just warning the coach would be the best route.