Tyennie

clarify for me, in the third balk what was wrong. I am not seeing it. :smachhead:

There is a new umpire here in my area who claims that he has worked NCAA, NAIA, and high school as well as the summer youth scene: JrBR and AMLG. For those of you that are working college level - would you ever wear a pair of ugly white tennis shoes to work the bases, even if it is summer league ball? Would you ever show up to work a game unshaven or with an untrimmed beard? My reason for asking: this particular gentleman keeps giving some rather interesting rules interps. Examples: (1) AmLg tourney this past weekend, F1 goes to his mouth on the mound: Balk! (Remember that Legion plays straight OBR). After reading an old copy (2000) of the BRD, i am aware that Fedlandia does have a different ruling on the pitcher to the mouth. (2) He also informed us that new AmLg ruling - after the third visit to the same F1 during the game he needs to be replaced. haven't heard that one, perhaps someone out there can speak to this new legion rule. (3) An earlier comment he made stating that his favorite rule was found in section 10. He was alluding to 9.01© The umpire has the right to....... My initial thoughts - This guy is full of himself and crapola. What say ye - oh purveyors of umpire excellence? ty

Not to mention you look like a big pre-historic bird out on the field. :smachhead:

maybe it is the dead ball sitch i am getting confused with. Let's say no runners, BR hits a deep fly that bounces over wall for GR double. But he misses first on the way by and touches second. In this case he is not allowed to go back and touch first, correct. ty

Just need to know if i am reading this rule correctly, should it ever happen in a game. hypothetical sitch: R1, less than 2 outs. BR hits a deep fly ball, R1 is off at the crack of the bat (does not tag up) R1 has advanced around 2B and is on his way to third, ball is caught. Can R1 return to first base to tag up once he has touched second or is he SOL? thanks ty

I generally look for the hands or arms extended into the defensive player; did the base runner "dip" his shoulder or appear to "load up" prior to the contact. When contact occurs and as the sh** storm starts with the coaches, i always make it a point to check with my partner. Most of the time as a play comes to the plate we (used collectively for all PU's) get so focused on the tag/no tag we may not see what was happening just prior. There have been times my partner has said "Oh yeah, this kid started loading up halfway down the baseline"

Where in the definition of OBS does it state that there has to be malicious contact, or even contact at all. It say "impedes" the progress of the runner. Impedes - –verb (used with object), -ped⋅ed, -ped⋅ing. to retard in movement or progress by means of obstacles or hindrances; obstruct; hinder. fielders without the ball standing in the way may be judged as impeding a runner. ty

I have had the same sitch asked of me, and i was actually going to post the same question. What I have told coaches is: It is crappy mechanics, but not a balk. Two reasons. (1) Nothing in the book says it is. (2) There isn't anyone on base man! Yes, often times F1 will go to the windup with R3 or R2 & R3. This is not an illegal pitch by definition; there are only 2 illegal pitches - not in contact with the rubber and a quick return pitch (look in section 2) Between innings quick discussion with this pitcher's coach, and hopefully some bad habits will get fixed before the kid throws again.

Don in Kansas Lmao&rof

Let me preface this post by telling Michael that I took the liberty of sending his message along to Carl. The following is his response via my home email address. Thane: Please post this in reply: It's always fun to discuss mechanics with amateurs like Michael. They are so sure of themselves, so eager to dismiss the more experienced clinicians. Mike, our mechanics are not "written the way they are because the work" but because baseball is the most conservative of sports. Baseball is to sports as Sen. Orin Hatch is to politics: out of step with the 21st century. Likely you're too young to remember the days when a three-man crew always put the third-base umpire ahead of or even with the lead runner, leaving the poor first-base umpire to call both ends of a double play while U3 spent the day reading the stock market reports while waiting for a pick-off at third. It took the late umpire Nick Bremigan 30 years to get his system (U3 stays in C with a runner at first) adopted. And I know there are still pockets in this country where dinosaur mechanics roam and poor U1 is overwhelmed by responsibilities. But in this instance, Mike is the true radical. He is not arguing with me or "my" mechanics. That means his memory of our supposed horn-locking is quite faulty. He's taking issue with Red Book (pro) mechanics. That a professional would go to B with R1/R3 is unthinkable. Not even I do that, though my old friend Jon Bible recommended it as a "possibility." What Mike is confusing is my suggestion that an amateur should go to C with a runner on first only. My reasons: You have a better look at the pickoff on first (if you don't believe that, take a peek at your next game) and in position to look between the runner stealing and the base. (Naturally, those are reasons for U1 to adopt C with runners on the corners as well.) Of course, I've never suggested an umpire go to B with runners at 1st and 2nd or 2nd only. In amateur ball, the steal of third (or double steal of third and second) is an ever-present possibility. Some umpire has gotta be in position to call the play at third, which is where the catcher ALWAYS throws. Mike, I appreciate your good words for the BRD. But I don't know where you've "referenced it." My market report shows you've never bought the book since Officiating.com began publishing it in 1999! Drop by: http://www.officiating.com. The 2009 version is the best yet, and there have been a lotta rule changes since 1998 Cheers: Carl Childress Editor, Officiating.com carlchildress@officiating.com

Okay Carl just sent me the document. So if you would like to have a look, send me a pm with your email address and i will send it to you. tyennie

has anyone taken a look at Carl Childress' "Mechanics for the 21st Century." Of course i cannot give you a link to find this document, at this time. He presents some pretty good points for revising the "traditional" (dang there is that word again) mechanics for we amateurs. Start in long B, (PU has the lines of course). R1 move to C, better angle, if R1 steals you don't follow the play to 2B, you are standing and waiting. A few other thoughts also. I will contact him and see if he can give me an up to date location for those who might want to peruse. ty

Listen. Can you hear the opening chorus to Fiddler on the Roof? "Tradition, Tradition!" Some of the old guys can get pretty set in their ways. Bummer. So you must approach with lots of diplomacy. You might preface your statement with a "How about this idea for _________" That way if you have been to a pro school/clinic it doesn't appear to be flaunting it in his face. Like the following phrase would: "Well when i was a Evans school we were taught........" I have a couple of guys here that I wish would change some of their mechanics, but they are not about to listen because "I've been doing it this way for 20 yrs and nobody has said anything" Well nobody around here knows enough to know that it is wrong. Except me (no brag, just fact) :BD:

You know a better statement might be: " You are not going on the field with me if you wear that stupid thing." :BD:

I had an AmLg coach a couple of years ago yell from his dugout to his outfielder "Throw the F***in' ball" I didn't toss him, 'cause i was thinking the same thing. I did go over between innings and told him to clean it up, his assistant said i may as well send the HC to the parking lot now because his level of frustration was peaking. ty

Sounds like a great time. too bad that is the only free weekend i have for the next 6 weeks. Got school crap going on, a daughter graduating pharm college on May 9 and another daughter grad. high school May 30. Guess i better stay at home. : ) Let us know how it goes. ty

Mine is the late inning game, when the team at bat is down by a handful of runs and the lead off batter has to take signs from the 3B coach. What in the heck is there to know - "Get up there and hit the freakin' ball and get on base" My other pet peeve is getting to the field for a game, taking the field with 5 minutes before the scheduled first pitch and hearing that no one has taken infield yet. That drives me bananas. What have they been doing for the past 30 - 45 minutes? ty

Considering the fact that we don't even have high school baseball in wyoming, our umpire numbers are still low. There are a couple of us in my area (sw wyo) that are certified thru the BR organization. The other levels of baseball that we have here are LL and American Legion. There really is no certification process for AmLg in the state, at least none that the state legion folks have let me know about. The LL certification for the state is not recognized by any region or the national office. Since we don't have many "certified" umpires, we have very few who are willing to commit to the field, but plenty of parents who are willing to grouse about the umpires. I don't believe any one of us has been to a clinic or school. Being a school teacher it is difficult for me to get away. Carl Childress did come out several years ago (2000-01) and did a clinic for us. Usually I am the one asked to instruct the clinics at the different leagues requests. ty

here is one more example: R1 and the BR hits a grounder to F3, who steps on 1B and throws to 2B, R1 must be tagged going in, since the force is removed at the time F3 touched first base.

I guess he likes to have someplace to keep the foul balls when they come back to the field. Looks darn silly out there.

Another trick for those of us that happen to carry an indicator as a BU, (goes along with the small adjustment comment earlier) Sneak a peek while you adjust your hat with your left hand. Would you like your BU to have an indicator or a ball bag? Yup we have a guy here that will wear his ball bag on the field. If he is with me i politely request he leave it at his car. ty

Hence the reason for my last sentence concerning the ball in the glove on the knee........ Posted in a tone of "oh yeah this makes sense now, 'cause the other thing happens all the time" thanks for the comments. Some day it will freakin' warm up here in wyoming and we can actually go outside and play baseball. :yippie:

Now here is a fun idea: Let's see the batter by his actions prohibited the catcher from making a play on a runner. Wow! batter int., BR is out. Just kidding, send R1 back, and then develop a hand sign for WTF? for your partner. ty

So what are your thoughts on this one? This has always been a concern of mine. We have a coach that will send his catcher up the 3B line with R2 and a clean single. My perspective is he wants his catcher to slow down R2 advancing around 3rd. Isn't this impeding? which is obstruction. The throw did not take him 12 feet up the line, F2 just moves there and waits. Usually R2 will see the catcher and head back to 3rd. But again I see this as obs. no where in the definition does it say physical contact must be made. what say ye oh learned men in blue. ty

Oh Fuuuuuuuuudddddddgggge. Spent a week there one day.