But he was in the runner's lane!!

[grayhawk]

From my son's game yesterday. 12U Pony game, we are on defense. R1 with no outs. B2 bunts the ball up the first base line and it's rolling in fair territory about 6 inches from the foul line. F1 comes to field the ball and hesitates for a moment to see if it might roll foul, but then decides to get the out since BR was getting close to him. F1 bends down to pick up the ball when BR runs into him (fairly big collision) and both players fall down. PU has not yet signaled anything and we tell F1 to get up and throw to first, which he does. R1 ends up at 2nd and PU then calls time. I am expecting, "Time - that's interference, he's out. You (R1), back to first." Instead, he basically said it was a train wreck, called BR out and left R1 at second. We didn't argue as OM comes unglued saying, "But he was in the runner's lane!" He's making the incredibly misinformed argument that somehow BR, because he was in the runner's lane, was protected. PU tells him that the runner must avoid the fielder making a play on the batted ball. Once BR gets up (he was injured on the play - but not too bad), OM asks if he can get someone to run for his injured player (he didn't hear PU call BR out). PU says no. OM asks why and PU says "because he is out." OM then starts yelling again, "How can he be out? How is he possibly out?" OM keeps yelling, "That's such a bad call! What a bad call!" Also tells PU that he needs to look it up and learn the rules. He said a few other things as he got back to his dugout and PU tells him that's enough and he doesn't want to hear about this play again. He could have easily ejected him, but doesn't. OM finally shuts up and the rest of the game was played without incident.

The whole thing (except for the collision) was high comedy and I enjoyed watching it from our dugout on the 1B side. I told the umpire later that I hadn't seen anyone that loud be that wrong on the baseball field in quite a while. I had never seen that manager before, but I got the feeling he was one of those "I played baseball for blah blah years, so don't try to tell me the rules" kind of guys.

[mstaylor]

Another graduate of the Tim McGarver school of baseball.

[Thunderheads]

Another graduate of the Tim McDouchebag school of baseball.

FIXED!!!:wave:

[mstaylor]

Thank you for the correction. :notworthy:

[Pete Peterson Sr]

I recently started doing some 12U travel ball on the occasional Sunday. Of course, I've heard all the myths and misconceptions about the rules, but I have also run into some very rules-savvy coaches. But yesterday, i may have heard the most interesting perversion of the rules ever. Manager asks for time during his opponent's at-bat, and comes toward me. I removed my mask and stepped toward him, away from the plate, and he said: "Chuck, they are intentionally having their runner at third go back to the bag in FAIR territory. Now, I know my catcher has to make a throw for you to call interference, but if he hits the runner with the throw, the runner is out, right" ? I said " Come again, coach " ? After he repeated his question, I explained to him that there is no prohibition on a runner at third to stay out of fair territory going back to the bag, like there is for a batter-runner going to 1B with a play being made on him from behind. He just huffed,rolled his eyes as if I were crazy, and went back to his dugout......

[mstaylor]

Sometimes it's tough to keep a straight face with some of the questions we get asked.

[Don]

Personal, profane and prolonged will get a coach ejected. I consider it personal to comment that I should learn the rules.

[Replacematt]

"Chuck, they are intentionally having their runner at third go back to the bag in FAIR territory. Now, I know my catcher has to make a throw for you to call interference, but if he hits the runner with the throw, the runner is out, right" ? I said " Come again, coach " ? After he repeated his question, I explained to him that there is no prohibition on a runner at third to stay out of fair territory going back to the bag,

I was always coached to go back to third in fair territory for the very reason I'd be in the way of the throw.

[johnnyg08]

"Chuck, they are intentionally having their runner at third go back to the bag in FAIR territory. Now, I know my catcher has to make a throw for you to call interference, but if he hits the runner with the throw, the runner is out, right" ? I said " Come again, coach " ? After he repeated his question, I explained to him that there is no prohibition on a runner at third to stay out of fair territory going back to the bag,

I was always coached to go back to third in fair territory for the very reason I'd be in the way of the throw.

Yeah, that's coaching 101.

[mstaylor]

You take your lead in foul so being hit by a batted ball isn't an out. You go back in fair to make the catcher's job harder. Even a stupid former F8 knows that. :)