calablue

Thanks, both books I looked in (OBR and Dixie Baseball) had 7.09c refering to a batter deflecting a ball. Had I looked down 1 more line I would have seen that these books had 7.09d covering that situation. thanks again.

:nod:Great job....all the right calls ( I am assuming that R3 was headed to his dugout and not just walking down the baseline). I'm sure you had a hell of a time explaining all that. I had the dropped ball while on the rubber in an adult game not to long ago too. It came right after he had balked by not coming to a set. Felt sorry for the guy but oh well.:Cool2:

Paperripper, I had the exact same situation recently (except the coach accepted my explanation about straddling the rubber w/out the ball and on we went). Mine was at 13-15 Babe Ruth game and I put it back in play while the pitcher straddled the rubber:big_no . F3 yells "I got him", I look and see he's got the ball. I called the balk. About 2 pitches later the light comes on in my head and I realize I screwed the pooch on that one. It's one of those situations where I wish someone had questioned the ruling with the right question. "Hey blue, how come you put the ball in play when the pitcher didn't have the ball or when he wasn't on the rubber? ". By the way , I was working this game alone, so no help to be had from a BU .:Cool2:

I can see how 7.11 could be applied to the throw from catcher to pitcher (Sit A in the OP ) requiring the batter to vacate the space needed to field the throw. And don't get me wrong here, I'm getting an out here for offensive interference, but can someone please point out the rule that requires the batter to vacate the space for a play to be made (as in Sit B in the OP).

Paperripper17... I was just jerking your chain. Tod would've beeen proud of me :Cool2:

Player catches a throw, applies the tag on the runner, bobbles the ball, then regains control. No transfer involved here. Was I correct in making a safe call here because he did not have control through the whole play? Without the bobble I would have called the runner out. :Cool2:

Why would the OC complain that the batter was getting tipped off as to the incoming pitch?:stir

Seems like either way the batter finished his at bat. He was out by strike out or was safe at first on the D3K and the 3rd out was made on the runner attempting to steal. But would it matter if the put out occured before the BR reached 1st base?

I have a NCAA rulebook ( 2009/2010 ) rule 9.3.c.1 that contains the statement " The pitcher is committed, upon raising the lead leg, to throw to the base being faced, to second base or to the plate." The rule contains more but that statement is exactly as written. This is college however,they seem to make up their own rules as they see fit.:rollinglaugh: I guess they're saying that he must spin or use a jump move to throw to a base that is behind him.

Ain't it the truth. And I am a young umpire, not in age but in experience.:D

Larry, According to the OP it went to the fence but nothing is said about it going out of play. Or if he had already touched the bag at the timeof contact between the two players. And Yawetag, I agree with that. If OBS occured ....IF he has already touched first, then he is awarded second . If he hasn't already touched first then he is only awarded first.

But Brian, doesn't rule 7.06a apply here? If he is obstructed, I don't see where you have to judge whether he would have made secnd base or not. According to that rule the runner shall be awarded at least one base beyond the base he had last legally touched before the obstruction.

I like to ask the DC if he'd still like that to be a dead ball if the batter hit it and they turned a double play on it. Of course if that was to happen then you have the OC all over your butt. In that case I ask the OC if he'd still like it to be a dead ball if by chance his batter hits the ball into a hole somewhere and brings in a couple runs.: It usually shuts them up.

OK Thanks guys. I've got it now. He can be moved to another position but cannot return to pitch later in the game. Well I guess I blew that one. Unfortunatenately it probably won't be the last time, but it will be the last time on that rule. It's like I've always told my son....anybody that tells you he's never screwed up a job has either never had a job or is a liar.:banghead:

I"ve never read FED rules, but every other set of rules I have read states that if he is hit by a pitched ball he is awarded first base. I have yet to find an exclusion for when the ball hits the ground first. However, if in your opinion he made no effort to avoid being hit by the pitch than you were right in calling it a ball (I am assuming you did call it a ball) and keeping him at bat. I've had this happen a few times, and had players and/or coaches try to argue that the ball is dead when it hits the ground in front of the plate .

This sound like a HTBT situation. OBR 7.09 l has a phrase in it that states that....When a catcher and batter runner going to first base have contact when the catcher is fielding the ball, there is generally no violation and nothing should be called. I think the question you need to ask is .....was his intention to interfere or did he simply hesitate for who knows what reason? If it was intentional call him out for interference and if it wasn't, let it play out.

Sound like a HTBT situation on whether to call him out for interference. If the ball was rolling down the third base line I think he would have to be called out because even if he thinks it is a foul ball it could still become fair. Spin on the ball, hitting a small rock, or even an unlevel spot in the ground could cause the ball to turn into fair territory.:banghead:

Can't say it was very funny when I first saw it.... I was like WTF? What did I do .... somebody has me mixed up with someone else. It was about 3 hours after seeing this that I put together that it was April fool day and I was the butt of the joke. What i can't figure was how I got selected. Was this just a random pick?Anyway ha ha ha it was funny. Had me going there for a little bit.

Can't say it was very funny when I first saw it.... I was like WTF? What did I do .... somebody has me mixed up with someone else. It was about 3 hours after seeing this that I put together that it was April fool day and I was the butt of the joke. What i can't figure was how I got selected. Was this just a random pick?Anyway ha ha ha it was funny. Had me going there for a little bit.

Hey What did I do?? I don't have a clue what this is all about?

I have no problem with him not throwing any pitches, and I think if his arm is hurt he shouldn't throw any. What I am asking is... can he stay in the game at another position if he doesn't pitch to the 1st batter? I could tell from his warm up throws that his arm was probably hurting him, but the coach wanted to keep him in the game still, just not on the mound. My problem with this is that it would open the door for any coach to list one pitcher to start the game and then replace him with another, after knowing the other team's lineup, simply by saying his arm is hurt. I think that if he's hurt enough to have to come off the mound before the game even starts ( and how could the coach be unaware of this before game time, unless he has sent the kid to the mound without throwing any warmup prior to the game? ) he should have to be removed from the game completely.

MSTAYLOR.....I'm unclear on your statement.... are you saying that he is allowed to be moved to another position? and that FED rules actually state that?

You let him stay in the game without pitching to the 1st batter?

Had a situation tonight in a 13-15 game, Babe Ruth league. I had a starting pitcher take 4 warmup throws and then tell his coach his arm is hurt and he can't pitch. Coach wants to replace him. I tell the coach he (the pitcher) can be replaced if he is injured but he must be removed from the game or he can pitch to the first batter and then move to a different position. I thought at the time that I had this right but am not so sure now. The rule I was applying was OBR 3.05a. It reads exactly the same as the Babe Ruth League rule 3.05a. summarized as follows: The pitcher named in the batting order handed to the UIC..........shall pitch to the first batter...........unless the pitcher sustains injury or illness which, in the judgement of the UIC, incapacitates him from pitching. I am questioning my ruling on this because I don't see anything in this rule that says he must be removed from the game if another pitcher replaces him. Is the injured pitcher allowed to move to another position ( 1st base maybe) and have another player take over for him on the mound? I know this would not happen in MLB but this being little league, most of the pitchers are already in the game anyway.

Thanks to all of you for your replies. I was really tired when I got in last night after a really long hard day and then 13-15 game, so I took the easy way out by asking rather than searching for the rule for clarification. I let it slide in the game b/c it was first game of season and obviously a new pitcher in this age group and explained rule to him on the side between innings.