BigBlue4u

This appears to be is a simple misapplication of the rule. Whether it's a misapplication or over-officiating, is anyone's guess. Plus, we are dealing with a judgment call.

When the pitcher is in the set position, with or without runners, he must come to a complete and discernable stop before delivering a pitch. (6-1-3)

It would appear the simplest way to officiate this play is to score the runner on obstruction and penalize the interference the moment it occurs by returning runners to the last base occupied at the time of the interference. If the interference prevented an out, enforce the out.

The big question is, at what point is the start of the basepath determined? What would be the call if the basepath was determined farther toward third base than as illustrated by the blue line? FWIW, I've got an out.

I would think all of this could be resolved if, when the head coach is ejected, ask one of the assistants who is now the head coach.

I ejected a batter for throwing his bat during a tournament. I did nothing the first time, The second time, it appeared he was throwing his bat to gain momentum running to first base. I then warned the coach if the batter threw his bat again, he would be ejected. He did throw it again and he was ejected. Nobody complained. If his coach took exception to the call, I would have used that old standby, "for safety reasons."

If the umpire believes R3 tried to make the pitcher balk, R3 is ejected and the balk is nullified. (MLB 6.04 (a) 3); (NFHS 3-3-1-n)

Upon further review, apparently the issue was did the batted ball hit the batter? If an umpire is not sure what happened, the usual suggestion is to watch the reaction of the batter. This batter, by his reaction, is telling me the ball hit him. That is why he makes no effort to advance to first base.

This is not a mechanics question, it's a rules question. Why did the umpires call this a foul ball?

Every once in a while, a superstar official comes along. Hank is one of them. He had one of the best pieces of advice I have heard when it comes to officiating. When something crazy happens, or when you are are stumped about something, ask yourself, "What is the spirit and intent of the rule."

That's pretty funny! 😄

FYI, When the outside protector was used by American League umpires, each major league umpire room did have one short and one long umpire protector available. That saved umpires from having their protectors transported from city to city.

And, speaking of garbage content, this is something I posted earlier and is a perfect example of why one must be careful of utilizing what information is posted on various forums. I will give this guy a lot of credit for so cleverly putting this together, but it is pure 100%B.S. Why MLB Umpires Keep Their Hands in Their Pockets MLB umpires often keep their hands in their pockets during games not because of a rule, but because of standardized umpire mechanics and the need to maintain a consistent, professional appearance. 1. Standardized mechanics and “choreography” In Major League Baseball, umpires use a fixed set of movement patterns to cover the field efficiently. This “choreography” is a prearranged sequence of positioning and movement that ensures all umpires are in the right place at the right time to make calls Society for American Baseball Research. When they are not actively making a call, umpires often stand with their hands in their pockets to keep their posture neutral and ready to move quickly. 2. Posture and readiness Keeping hands in pockets helps umpires maintain a balanced, alert stance. This posture allows them to shift positions smoothly when a play develops, whether moving into foul territory, covering a base, or stepping into the outfield Society for American Baseball Research. It also prevents them from appearing distracted or fidgety. 3. Professional appearance and focus Umpires are expected to be composed and authoritative. Hands in pockets give them a more controlled, “on duty” look, which helps them project confidence and authority to players, coaches, and fans MLB. It also minimizes unnecessary movement that could draw attention away from the game. 4. Consistency across crews Since MLB umpires follow a league-wide set of mechanics, this hand-in-pocket stance is part of a uniform, professional presentation. It’s a subtle but important part of their “uniform” — both in appearance and in how they move and stand on the field Society for American Baseball Research. In short, umpires keep their hands in their pockets to maintain proper posture, follow standardized mechanics, and project a professional, ready-to-act demeanor during games.

That comment certainly put a smile on my face. 🙂

I totally agree with immediately telling the coach, "Go to my partner, he made the call." Two reasons. First, you may not know the reason for your partner's call. A pulled foot you did not see, a dropped ball you did not see, etc. Second, the longer you talk, the more unverified information the coach can pass on to your partner. e.g. "Your own partner told me he missed it." If you immediately direct the coach to talk with your partner, that can't happen. And, while I'm on the subject, unfortunately, you may be working with a partner you do not trust. In this case, if your partner comes to you then goes to the coach, you go with your partner to the coach. That way you can be sure your partner passes on to the coach what you actually said. In fact, it's probably a good idea to always go with your partner who goes to a coach after talking with you.

👍 Very good. The runners need to be protected in this type of situation.

I would direct him to another line of work!

Bobby Cox, Hall of Fame manager of Atlanta Braves, dies at 84. One thing about Bobby, he fought fiercely for his players, getting a MLB record of 162 ejections.

Runners at first and third, nobody out. Batter hits a high pop fly that takes the shortstop about 10 feet to the outfield grass. The left fielder then calls the shortstop off the play and deliberately drops the ball. The left fielder then picks the ball up and throws to second to force the runner from first. The ball is then relayed to first base ahead of the batter-runner. While all of this is going on, the runner from third scores. What's the call?

And, the one thing that many umpires don't take into consideration, "...and interferes with the play."

This is from the internet and it's the biggest load of (insert your own word) I've ever seen concerning umpiring: Why MLB Umpires Keep Their Hands in Their Pockets MLB umpires often keep their hands in their pockets during games not because of a rule, but because of standardized umpire mechanics and the need to maintain a consistent, professional appearance. 1. Standardized mechanics and “choreography” In Major League Baseball, umpires use a fixed set of movement patterns to cover the field efficiently. This “choreography” is a prearranged sequence of positioning and movement that ensures all umpires are in the right place at the right time to make calls Society for American Baseball Research. When they are not actively making a call, umpires often stand with their hands in their pockets to keep their posture neutral and ready to move quickly. 2. Posture and readiness Keeping hands in pockets helps umpires maintain a balanced, alert stance. This posture allows them to shift positions smoothly when a play develops, whether moving into foul territory, covering a base, or stepping into the outfield Society for American Baseball Research. It also prevents them from appearing distracted or fidgety. 3. Professional appearance and focus Umpires are expected to be composed and authoritative. Hands in pockets give them a more controlled, “on duty” look, which helps them project confidence and authority to players, coaches, and fans MLB. It also minimizes unnecessary movement that could draw attention away from the game. 4. Consistency across crews Since MLB umpires follow a league-wide set of mechanics, this hand-in-pocket stance is part of a uniform, professional presentation. It’s a subtle but important part of their “uniform” — both in appearance and in how they move and stand on the field Society for American Baseball Research. In short, umpires keep their hands in their pockets to maintain proper posture, follow standardized mechanics, and project a professional, ready-to-act demeanor during games.

Which tells you all you need to know about some of the lowlifes that populate various websites.

The general guideline for determining interference on this type of play is that a fielder within a step and a reach of a batted ball is considered in the act of fielding.

NFHS rule 1-4-4 states: "The school's official uniform (including uniform pants, jersey, visible undergarmets, socks, stockings, caps and headwear)....." does not mention batting gloves. Therefore, I would say it's safe to conclude that batting gloves would be classified as equipment.

Unfortunately, this is where we are. When this happens, the time for diplomacy is long past. On the coach demanding You GOTTA GET HELP your first response, in a calm voice is, "Coach, talk to me like that again and you will be ejected." If you get into a situation like you described, get both coaches together and tell them to get their teams and themselves un der control. And tell them if they can't do it, you'll do it for them. Most of the time situations can be handled with a little diplomacy. This is not one of them.