Coach Carl

I don't have a Wendlestedt manual but I am confused by some of the terms. Is "acquire" interchangeable with "entitled"? As I read your post, I deduce that a runner cannot acquire a base until a preceding runner is not entitled to it. That would make for the possibilty of odd sitches. For example: R1 and R2. Double steal. Catcher throws down to 2B. R2 stumbles and has not reached 3rd when F6 tags R1 after he has touched 2B (i.e. he is safe). Except, is he not safe? The definition of "SAFE" would seem to say that you couldn't declare him safe because he isn't entitled to the base until R2 reaches 3B. DEFINITIONS OF TERMS “SAFE” is a declaration by the umpire that a runner is entitled to the base for which he was trying.

R1. When R2 and R1 occupy the base at the same time, R1 loses title. Though, based on Wendlestedt 8.2.3 cited later, he appears not to have been entitled to the base until R2 has acquired 3rd.

I believe that R1 has legally acquired 2B. He can only lose title to the base if R2 retreats and they both occupy the base at the same time. 5.06 Running the Bases (a) Occupying the Base (1)  A runner acquires the right to an unoccupied base when he touches it before he is out. He is then entitled to it until he is put out, or forced to vacate it for another runner legally entitled to that base. In the OP, R1 has touched it before he is out and has not been forced to vacate it for another runner who is legally entitled to it.

It's also one of the highlights in the game recap on mlb.com https://www.mlb.com/gameday/775314/video/tim-hill-in-play-no-out-to-brayan-rocchio

I believe this applies: 5.09(c)(2) APPROVED RULIING (B) (c) Appeal Plays Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when: (1) After a fly ball is caught, he fails to retouch his original base before he or his original base is tagged; Rule 5.09(c)(1) Comment: “Retouch,” in this rule, means to tag up and start from a contact with the base after the ball is caught. A runner is not permitted to take a flying start from a position in back of his base. Such runner shall be called out on appeal. (2)  With the ball in play, while advancing or returning to a base, he fails to touch each base in order before he, or a missed base, is tagged; APPROVED RULING: (A) No runner may return to touch a missed base after a following runner has scored. (B) When the ball is dead, no runner may return to touch a missed base or one he has left after he has advanced to and touched a base beyond the missed base. Once he advanced to and touched second (the "base beyond the missed base") AND the ball became dead, he could not legally correct his error at first base. If he does run the bases in reverse order to (apparently) correct the error and a valid appeal is made when the ball becomes live again, the appeal should be granted since his touch should not be recognized as a valid correction.

9.05 (b) The Official Scorer shall not credit a base hit when: (2)  batter apparently hits safely and a runner who is forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner fails to touch the first base to which such runner is advancing and is called out on appeal. The Official Scorer shall charge the batter with a time at bat but no hit;

The rule for your reference: 5.08 How a Team Scores (a)  One run shall be scored each time a runner legally advances to and touches first, second, third and home base before three men are put out to end the inning. EXCEPTION: A run is not scored if the runner advances to home base during a play in which the third out is made (1) by the batter-runner before he touches first base; (2) by any runner being forced out; or (3) by a preceding runner who is declared out because he failed to touch one of the bases. Your runner fulfilled the requirement to score, but the run doesn't count due to Exception #1. As noted by others, tagging a runner who is forced fulfills exception #2.

In last Sunday's Guardians game, Jose Ramiriez let go of his bat on an inside pitch. The pitch went between his body and the bat, touching neither. When the ball passed through, Ramirez was not holding or otherwise touching his bat. If the ball had hit his bat would it have been a foul ball (or, if it qualified, a foul tip)? I've provided a video link for context though it is hard to see details: https://www.mlb.com/video/randy-dobnak-ball-to-jose-ramirez-knbldk?partnerId=web_video-playback-page_video-share

I'm assuming this is for the tournament as you say, "last night". Tournament Rule#5 (Forfeits): No game may be forfeited or a team disqualified without the authorization of the Tournament Committee. Violations which may result in forfeiture or disqualification must be reported immediately to the Regional Director before further play takes place which would involve a team or teams affected by such action. So, as JonnyCat said, it's up to the committee. More context and details are needed to even begin to offer an opinion, but regardless, it's the commitee's decision. Everyone here would just be hazarding a guess.

I've been a site director for LL tourney games and I would have considered that my job to keep the teams organized for all the pre-game pageantry. If the umpires wanted to help, fine, but if they run into trouble I better be nearby to intervene. FWIW, I would have talked to the manager and told him he had to get them ready for introductions and give hiim a deadline, "Dave, we need to get the teams in the dugout for introductions, I'll be ready to start in two minutes."

To me, this is what I'm getting at by not being concerned with the questionable tactics. I think we have gotten so wrapped up in the pitcher/catcher battle that we tend to look past the very essence of the game: trying to advance around the bases on offense and trying to prevent it on defense (it's even in the rules under Objectives of the Game). Those questionable tacticts get your team's defensive radar up. Teaching baseball IQ is tough to do in practice when you are so focused on skill development. But, all the sitches you run into in game play are lessons that pile up in the players' brain. As they get to the higher levels, it's great to see them play using the lessons learned. In my Little League, I've watched 12U all-stars blow games because they either didn't play aggressively on the basepaths or got caught napping on defense by their opponents aggressive baserunning.

Sometimes 10U Coaches get confused too. Even if it was a planned play, my experience is that many coaches and parents get too wound up by "bush league" tactics. I always told my teams and their parents not to let these things bother them. Everything is a learning opportunity. We can let a player learn that stealing home legally could get his coach ejected or a catcher learn that he doesn't need to be aware of the game situation because the umps will bail him out. Why perpetuate myths when you can just enforce the rules as written?

When I read this, it comes off as a Colonel Jessup-like "you have to ask me nicely" who's-in-charge power play. Maybe your tone was different, but it doesn't read that way.

6.01 (a)(8) is in regards to assisting. I can't see how handing something to a runner would qualify. I think of assisting as taking physical action to help the runner move in a particular direction (such as pushing or holding back). The concern is how the equipment he is holding might affect the play. If there is no play made on the runner then the equipment didn't interfere so there is nothing for the umpires to do. Before the advent of "oven mitts" players used to hold their batting gloves in their hands to protect their hands. That didn't cause any problems, though the batting armor is much more obtrusive.

5.09(c) Appeal Plays Any runner shall be called out, on appeal, when: (1) After a fly ball is caught, he fails to retouch his original base before he or his original base is tagged;

From the the rule book (Major League rules - "OBR"): The term FORCE PLAY is found in the Definitions of Terms section: A FORCE PLAY is a play in which a runner legally loses his right to occupy a base by reason of the batter becoming a runner. The rules define how a runner may be put out and in one of the sections, we find the force play and it specifically says that the runner or the base may be tagged to get the force out: 5.09(b) Retiring a runner: Any runner is out when: (6)  He or the next base is tagged before he touches the next base, after he has been forced to advance by reason of the batter becoming a runner. However, if a following runner is put out on a force play, the force is removed and the runner must be tagged to be put out. The force is removed as soon as the runner touches the base to which he is forced to advance, and if he overslides or overruns the base, the runner must be tagged to be put out. However, if the forced runner, after touching the next base, retreats for any reason towards the base he had last occupied, the force play is reinstated, and he can again be put out if the defense tags the base to which he is forced;

My program is a Little League so we are talking about players from two different groups who are both supported by the league. The problem was always that the all-star manager wanted to get going with practices as soon as he was allowed (June 1) so when the tournament started in late June the team was ready. I always found it a shame that just when real baseball weather was kicking in from Memorial Day on, we were winding them down. All the non-all-stars that I ever coached wanted to keep playing. Their parents pretty much would have been happy to keep them going as long as the season ended right before July 4th week, which is when their summer really started.

A coach and his assistant who were known to me were unhappy with his league's annual race to get the season done so all-stars can start by mid-June. This is in the northeast where you are lucky to get on fields in April so your season ends up being 5 weeks plus playoffs. By the time their boys were 12, they knew all the good players who didn't participate on the league's all-star teams. They proceeded to make sure they had as many of them on their team as they could while drafting no all-stars. The goal was to win the league championship as a farewell. It was fun to watch them win that final best of three championship series with a run rule shutout in game #2.

You are correct. I don't know of any published guidance on what a "justifiable reason" would be. As it relates to the OP, I don't think you are going to get the commitee to penalize from a protest during the game. I think this would be more of an after-the-fact investigation that would cause them to take action.

The teams roster (i.e the "Eligibility Affidavit") must have at least 12 players unless the District Administrator approves a waiver. The team is required to submit a lineup of all players present at the beginning of the game. The team may add a player who shows up late to the end of the lineup (Manager option). There is no penalty for showing up with 11 or less except that if a Team, Manager or Coach is found by the Tournament Committee to be disregarding the rule, they are subject to penatlies, including removal, forfeiture of a game or disqualificaton of the team or coaches from the tournament. I can imagine a team scheming by devising a schedule of when a player is "off". If you have 8 games in pool play, a team could have a rotation of players miss games (maybe even two at a time so you only have 10 players). But, if it were to come out that a team was purposefully telling players not to come, I'm sure the Committee would penalize. This penaly section is under Tournament Rule 9, Section h.

Mr. Maven, I'd appreciate a little information on this. Despite my moniker, I don't coach teams anymore. I've taken to umpiring in my Little League occasionally (Minors) and appreciate some game management help. As I envision this "stare", I think of it like the teacher who used to deal with misbehavior by not saying a word and waiting for the disrupter(s) to realize their error. No words necessary, just wait them out until they get self-conscious and stop. Maybe even followed up with, "are you done, Mr. (last name)" and a sheepish "yes". I ask, because, I can see in a different context or done improperly (or received imporperly), it could be thought of as quite aggressive. I think you'd want to save the aggressiveness for the actual warning?

The Guardians were able to get the run across earlier today. Play at 2:30.

The proper way to handle this is for the tournament to publish rules on how it should be handled and then for the TD and umpires to follow them. It sounds like #34 arrived late (but still in time to bat in his usual position). Who forgets their clean-up hitter in the lineup? I think his coach should have just put him in and then deal with it if he wasn't there yet when it was his turn to bat. With easy communication available, it's not too hard to estimate when he is going to arrive. Maybe put him down a few slots to buy some time. Otherwise, when he arrives, add him to the end. The base rule sets that could be used are typically OBR (Major League rules) or FED (High School rules). They don't have provisions for Continuous Batting Order. Some youth rules sets do (Little League and Babe Ruth, maybe Pony as well). The problem is, in my experience, the tournament doesn't anticipate situations that might occur and how to resolve them. So you are left with making it up as you go. Seemed to work out OK for your game, so no problem I guess. Here are some issues that can arise with CBO and if the tournament rules aren't clear, a game could go sideways: 1. Can late players be added to the end of the lineup? If so, when does that provision end (Never? Once the first batter gets his second AB?) 2. What happens if someone can't bat (injury, ejection, etc.)? Out? Skip with no penalty? Can the injured player return later? 3. What happens to special provisions for courtesy runners? There are probably more, but that's just off the top of my head.

Count me as one coach who would not be offended in the slightest at your question. Perhaps it could be more a part of your regular plate meeting script to slip in the question as part of them introducing themselves.

There's a Hoosiers reference in there somewhere. Umpire: Coach, your batter needs a bat. Coach: My batter is in the box. Umpire: OK