Finnblue

It's where it STOPS or is TOUCHED that counts. MS

Looks more like hockey goalie's CP, especially with those arms. MS

How often this happens in MLB? If I remember right, less than 20 last century. MS

Like ours, only one smooth side, towards home, naturally. MS

I decided to tell you more about baseball in here, instead of hiding my stories in Interference-thread. So, Finnish Championship games: Game 1 pictures Game 2 pictures (The man in uniform in this picture is representing sport called Finnish Rules Baseball "Pesäpallo". That sport has some similarities with baseball. I shall tell you later about it) As you can see, our playing facilities are (way) far from perfect, but we manage to do with these. Fields are dirt (read: gravel), no permanent mound, only one field has good backstop. The field we use in Tampere doesn't have any fences around it, others have at least some part of outfield bordered with fence. Couple of years ago we still pitched from field level. That made our trips to international competitions hard, usually it took a game or two to get used to both pitching from the mound and hitting those pitches coming DOWN. So now we have built several artificial mounds to get the right kind of pitch movement. More to come. MS

Not so much. First we thought that we will get lot's of hurt legs after flies over infield, but no, so far no accidents from tripping over. Once F1 nearly hurt his foot when he got stuck in the carpet. Today was game two, 12-9 to challenger, Icebreakers, games are now 1-1. MS

How about this: MS

That's excactly what happened, U2 was not able to see it. I should have reacted much faster, but - as always when something surprising happens first time - I hesitated. Still we got it right. MS

Once I was asked what kind of strike zone I have. I adviced coach tell his kids come to the plate swinging their bats. MS

You have it right, both are "normal". I have seen runners jumping over the ball for avoiding it. What I tried to express is that if fielder has big trouble handling the ball because of the runner, we have INT. Sorry of my bad English, sometimes it's difficult to explain in "foreign" language. MS

Actually, hindering batted ball is INT even if accidental. If he moves in front of the ball and fielder behind him obviously has trouble seeing and handling the ball, it's INT - as happened there. Well, we all read the rulebook at our homes after the game and agreed: we had it right. OBR 2: "On any interference the ball is dead." OBR 7.08 "Any runner is out when— ( He intentionally interferes with a thrown ball; or hinders a fielder attempting to make a play on a batted ball" Here we are discussing about it: http://picasaweb.google.fi/EspooExpos/Finaali1ExposIcebreakers1982009#5371751983595306530 Left to right: Tony Jones, Mauri Hautaniemi, me All the pics from yesterday's game are here: http://picasaweb.google.fi/EspooExpos/Finaali1ExposIcebreakers1982009# Final score: Expos (Espoo) 8 - Icebreakers (Helsinki) 3 MS

Today's game (first of Finnish Championship finals): No outs, R2, batter hits straight where R2 was standing, F6 running behind. R2 jumps back and forth, doesn't know where to go, NOT touching the ball. F6 manages to stop the ball but is clearly in trouble doing it. Finally he picks the ball up and fires to first base, bang bang play, BR is out. How do you call? a) Dead ball, R2 out for INT, BR free 1st base or B2 safe, INT nullifed because of BR out or c) something else? We went for a) but I started second guessing myself after the game MS

Right thing to do. I was PU in one game, R2 dove in 3rd base, immediately called for time - which BU granted. F5 threw the ball over pitcher, all the way past F3 to the fence. This coach jumped up (of joy, I think) and told his runner to score. So I was there meeting the runner, holding my hand up, tellin' him to go back to third. The OC run to me and asked why. I told him that R2 was given time for standing up, the ball was still dead. I hope this coach started to teach things differently. MS

What I hated most while working PONY in TX was the way coaches taught kids ask for a time right after dive to the bag. Even before the dust had settlet the kid had his arm up. It's not my job to help him up. I grant time only in three cases: - runner is hurt, - he's in such position he cannot get up wihout losing contact with the base or - fielder holds the ball on him and neither of them make any move in a while. Of course the coaches complained about this to our supervisor who in turn told me to change my routines. Once runner dove back to first base on pick-off. F3 was holding his glove on him when he took of his hand off the base begging for time. Instead I called him out... MS

Who cares, it's not a balk anyway. Put PU shouldn't put the ball in play unless F3 has at least one foot in fair area. Sit. 4: (sometimes I wonder who puts these ideas into coaches' heads? And why some umpires go with it) R1, RHT F1 gets set, F5 signs him to pick R1 so F1 whirrs around and tries to pick R1 off. And OC at third base starts yelling "Balk! He didn't get his sign from the catcher!" And what does the BU do? Right, he calls a balk! I was at the stands that time so I couldn't say a word. Afterwards I asked BU why did he call that balk. He quoted OBR 8.01: "Pitchers shall take signs from the catcher while in contact with the pitcher’s plate." Uuh... MS

I have know this site only couple of days and I love it!!! Here's the situation - that proves players and coaches don't have faintest idea of rules. R1 and R2. Batter hits a clean hit to center field, R2 scores, ball is thrown towards infield (before BR reaches 1st base), where F5 misses it and it goes DBT, R1 scores (he had gone past 2nd base before the throw). Then, for my surprise, R2 runs back to 3rd base, standing on it. When I look at him he tells me that he missed it. I just told him to go to the dugout. F5 heard him but they didn't appeal anyway. So the run scored anyway... MS

My friend from UK gave me the link. They have it in Facebook, too. Anyone who can get in DVD, I'm ready to buy one (I'm sure it won't come to Finland in any form). MS

Sit. 1: RHP in set, lifts his left leg up bending his knee, then whirs around and steps toward first throwing there. I called balk, b/c his knee started first going home = that's where he has to go. I had a long discussion about this in TX with the DC - who also happened to be an umpire. Sit. 2: Hidden ball trick, pitcher standing on the mound but NOT on the rubber nor stradling it. For me that is not a balk. OBR doesn't even mention anything about the mound. This has been one of the biggest disagreements between umpires both here in Europe and in US - in my experience. Sit. 3: F3 holding runner at the base, his feet on the foul area. The PU doesn't notice and puts the ball in play. Pitcher pitches and OC starts pointing F3 and yelling "Balk! Balk! He wasn't on fair area!" Uuh... again some umpires read the OBR 4.03 that the penalty in (a) means for the whole rule when some others (including me) sees it concern only catcher receiving intentional walk. Anything else? MS

Here's something worth watching - whenever it comes out on DVD http://www.signsofthetimemovie.com/

I had almost similar case in Mustang game one night: Sometimes, if we wanted, we could practice three-man-system, so we did in this game. I was U1. In the middle of the game, no outs, R1 taking good lead. Batter whacks liner to the alley between F8 and F9. While the ball was gathered and thrown back to infield the R1 was heading home. He got there about same time with the ball so there was very close play - which I didn't see because I had my I on the BR who was rounding second and colliding with F6 and falling. He stood up, continued to third where he arriver right after the ball thrown by F2. U3 called him out. Now we had loud argument at home plate about the call there (R1 was safe) so the defense missed one out. I tried to get attention of third base coach and U3 to reverse the call there because of obstruction. When I finally get it, I pointed the kid who was already sitting in the dugout and told him to get back to base. And in comes the DC, really upset, because now I took the other out away. He claimed that he saw no collision at second base. That was true, because he was looking at the play at home. Finally I got it cleared on the field. As I was returning to my position one father started yelling me behind the fence that I had no knowledge of the rules etc. I don't know what went to me but I walked to him, listened to his tantrum - no profanities, which was nice. And before I managed to say anything he finished with words: "Now you want me to go to parking lot, don't you?" What else can I say but: "Yes, please". Anyway, the result of this: we were denied to use three-man-system any more at that PONY area. MS

I found that, yes. But I had great time umpiring in TX (700 games in 3½ years). No, I'm #19. We use backstops, some fields we put a soccer goal behind the plate and hang the backstop from that. One field has a permanent backstop. Only one field we play on does have a fence all around the outfield. Others have out of play areas. MS

Yea, I learned my lesson. I'm a big target anyway. MS

The popularity is not rising so much, now we have only five teams in our championships league - finals starting next wednesday, I'm behind the plate, btw. We have to modify some rules concerning the field: we play on dirt (read: gravel) that has no fences all around. So we have ground rule doubles a lot, also overthrow at firstbase mostly end up batter and runners getting two bases. We hate it. During all these years we have been stugling to get a field of our own. Finally we are promised funding, but the problem is the location. All grass fields are for soccer (which sucks). Here you find some pics of our games: http://jarimiet.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Baseball/ I'm happy I found this group. There are plenty of rules and situations that we need to clarify here (even umpires disagree some cases). Thanks (kiitos) for welcomes. MS

I had a PONY game several years ago. There was one woman sitting behind the backstop riding my partner's ass all the time. After couple of innings my partner (PU) gave warning to the home team coach - the woman was obviously mother of one of his players. Few pitches later my partner finally gets enough: he calls "TIME", points to the first base coan yellin "You're out!", turns to third base coach, pointing him and telling "And you're next!" The coach from first base didn't say a word, just walked out of the field, behind the backstop, took this woman's arm and physically dragged her out of there. After the game we were changing equipments - I had the dish in the next game - this woman suddenlly appeared to walk towards us. We thouhgt that now the SH*# hit the fan, but she actually came to apologize us of her bad behaviour. That was nice. MS

Check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5YJjgyCBsc MS