4 hour 10 minute LL JR game

[1dumbquestion]

LL JR 4hour 10minutes and then I blew it…

Got the call for the game at the last minute so I thought I’d be solo, right before I do the plate meeting another ump steps onto the field thinking he’s got a solo game to do. So we do a quick pre-game and get it going. I’m PU. Bottom of 2nd BU comes in to ask about a time limit. I’m new to the field so we talk to both managers and all agree no limit.

So far so good… bottom 3 R1 & R2 w/1 out. B4 pops up to F6 I come out pointing to the sky and yell “infield fly batters out”… well F6 drops the ball R2 comes off the bag and gets nailed, 3 outs. HC starts yelling about not hearing me. I shut him down lets start the next inning. Now he’s on D, R3 & R2 w/1 out B4 flies out to F8 R3 tags and scores R2 gets doubled off… now HC is wanting R3’s run not to count. Again I tell him it scores go back to your dugout. (he is sure its a force I tell him no)

Fast forward to the top of 6 (3-1/2 hours) I hear a “time blue” coming from outside the fence, when I turn around I see yet another ump walking on to my field telling me “call time blue”. He starts walking toward my BU and saying “you guys need to hurry this up” I cut him off and tell him we are not playing with a time limit and please get off my field (apparently he was “somebody” at this LL but not that day on that field).

Are you ready here is where I blew it… top 7th VC comes out with subs (one of the players in the lineup had to go home) well he doesn’t have any eligible subs and I seem to remember something about not being able to play with 8 and apparently 4.17 had never crossed my mind. So game over, yeah that’s right I call the game after more than 4 hours. No complaints/questions from either side as we all wanted to go home. The moment I get home I grab my book to realize my mistake. 4.17 will now be forever burned into my mind. So What do you all think? Go ahead I can take it. Thanks for listening I needed to get that off my chest. 1

Edited May 18, 2010 by 1dumbquestion

[moblue]

I'm not sure what LL's rule 4.17 is, but I'll assume it has something to do with being able to continue the game with 8 players. As much as you are giving yourself a hard time about it, don't. If either coach cared, they would have said something.

Also, this would be considered a game-ending play that is protestable for 24 hours after the call was made. Considering how the game was ended, it would be a valid protest, hopefully your call would be overturned, and they will be allowed to finish the game at a later date. Normally I'm all for supporting an umpire's decision, but it sounds like you feel bad about what happened. I'm trying to give an upside to this. I really wouldn't feel to bad though. After four hours of baseball if you were only in the top of the sixth, either there was an outrageous score and/or there were some major unnecessary delays which prevented the game from being over sooner. I would think 2:30 is ample time for almost any LL game to finish in unless there are extra innings.

[1dumbquestion]

Thanks moblue.. 4.17 says if one team has ineligible players on the bench (not ej'd) that the opposing coach can pick one to re-enter the game. and yes I did feel terrible but as you said the coaches had plenty of time to figure out the rule, I know I did. Thanks, 1

what do you think about another ump

(not part of my game) walking on to my field. I thought that was unacceptable but it may have just been the time.

[semper_fi_72]

No Time Limit!!!!!

Every league here in our District has a 2 Hour no new inning for Major and Juniors.

The only time the time limit would not be used is if there is a tie and there is no game scheduled afterward to start. Then the only factor is curfew for the appropriate age group.

You need to check with your local league UIC or President.

I have never worked a game Little League, USSSA, High School, PONY or Adult that did not have a time limit. Adult League I work has a no new after 3:05 for nine innings.

Yes in accordance with 4.17 the opposing manager can select a player to re-enter.

I ran into this once this year already.

What the heck was the final score?

If that league does not have a time limit now, they sure need to start using one.

I would also reach down and look at your game management.

You need to be getting the kids and coaches to hustle at all times.

Edited May 18, 2010 by semper_fi_72

[mstaylor]

The umpire coming on the field is totally unacceptable. I don't care how long the game is going he has no business on the field.

[1dumbquestion]

No Time Limit!!!!!

Every league here in our District has a 2 Hour no new inning for Major and Juniors.

The only time the time limit would not be used is if there is a tie and there is no game scheduled afterward to start. Then the only factor is curfew for the appropriate age group.

You need to check with your local league UIC or President.

I have never worked a game Little League, USSSA, High School, PONY or Adult that did not have a time limit. Adult League I work has a no new after 3:05 for nine innings.

Yes in accordance with 4.17 the opposing manager can select a player to re-enter.

I ran into this once this year already.

What the heck was the final score?

If that league does not have a time limit now, they sure need to start using one.

I would also reach down and look at your game management.

You need to be getting the kids and coaches to hustle at all times.

Semper, I know most orgs use time limits but the only place (that I have found) in the LL book that talks about limits says if limited fields on the same night the first game can have a limit. this was a saturday noon game with nothing to follow. don't get me wrong I was praying for lightning after 3 hours. the final score was about 18-15 or something close. lots of pitching changes/pick off attemps. I don't think my game management was great but I don't think it added and hour to a ballgame. 1

[carolinablue]

Playing a LL JR's game without a time limit is asking for a marathon. I hope this is not the norm. for these people and after that game they see the need to use a time limit.

I did a JR's DH last weekend with a 2.5 hr. limit per game. Both games went the distance on time and me and my partner thought they would never end. No pitching, no defense, and tons of runs.:WTF

[moblue]

I'll echo mstaylor by saying another umpire coming onto the field is unacceptable. If he had the authority within the league to make some kind of decision on the time, he should have addressed you through the fence (and preferably been discrete about it).

[semper_fi_72]

Playing a LL JR's game without a time limit is asking for a marathon. I hope this is not the norm. for these people and after that game they see the need to use a time limit.

I did a JR's DH last weekend with a 2.5 hr. limit per game. Both games went the distance on time and me and my partner thought they would never end. No pitching, no defense, and tons of runs.

Exactly carolinablue

Juniors are suppose to play better than Majors, yet that 1 added inning is trouble.

I am completing Major games in 1:30. Even had a Major game go 7 innings and was done in 1:35. 1-0, solo HR in top of 7th.

To me the kids in Majors are more interested in playing baseball then Juniors are. Does anyone else notice this?

I work USSSA Games and 13U play 7 innings and have a 1:45 limit.

A few weeks ago, we got one of those games done in 1:20.

Please double check with the League UIC or President about the time limit.

[carolinablue]

I think it is directly related to the size of the field. The players just haven't grown into the big field yet. Also, the pitchers are learning to pitch from the set position with runners on, and that really slows the game down.

Seniors is much improved and I love Big League. Around here there are a lot of varisty HS players and even a few college players playing Big League.

[mstaylor]

I have said for years that Jrs is 9/10s on a 90ft field. They are relearning to pitch, hold runners, and not balk. Runners are learning how to take leads and how to read moves. They have had 30ft added to the bases and 14ft added to the mound.

[MickeyMouseUmp]

Hmmm, please check with the League president. In one of the LL's I do they have no new innings after 1:50 regardless of following games or not. It's not a LL rule but rather a League rule that will generally dictate the time. As to the unassigned umpire coming onto the field that is really unacceptable and needs to be reported. Way to stay your ground!!

[1dumbquestion]

thanks for the support guys. While we're talking time limits I've got a question. Regulation VII (h) says no time limit on major games. Although most coaches do not read even the regular rules we do have a couple in our league that read everything and have mentioned this whenever we bring up having time limits on our games. So for those of you that impose a limit on all of your games do you get a written waver from PA or does no one question it? Thanks, 1

[catoblue]

After 3 hours, I'm Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[kylejt]

This is my first season of working a full slate of Juniors, and it hasn't been too bad. Most are around two hours, but one went 2:45. LL doesn't allow time limits in Majors and above if there's no following game. That said, nobody is going to complain if you just do it at the local level. Just don't blab it to your DA.

My son is coaching a Juniors team, and their games went two hours, or less. I always liked working his games, as they usually 10 runned their opponents in 5. Plus, I got to warn him about staying the box, and hustling on and off the field.

[semper_fi_72]

thanks for the support guys. While we're talking time limits I've got a question. Regulation VII (h) says no time limit on major games. Although most coaches do not read even the regular rules we do have a couple in our league that read everything and have mentioned this whenever we bring up having time limits on our games. So for those of you that impose a limit on all of your games do you get a written waver from PA or does no one question it? Thanks, 1

Time limits on games are imposed by the Local League during regular season games.

We also have inter-league games and in those games the time limit is dictated by the District.

I received the brackets for our District TOC and happy to say that the start time for games are 3 hours apart.

Should be plenty of time to complete Minor, Major and Junior game when we are seeing the best team from each league.

[yawetag]

My son is coaching a Juniors team, and their games went two hours, or less. I always liked working his games, as they usually 10 runned their opponents in 5. Plus, I got to warn him about staying the box, and hustling on and off the field.

Personally, I will never work a game that my son is involved in, unless he's another umpire. While I know that I can call a fair game, "perception is reality" seems to happen on the field a lot more than it could.

[SRP]

Personally, I will never work a game that my son is involved in, unless he's another umpire. While I know that I can call a fair game, "perception is reality" seems to happen on the field a lot more than it could.

When I started umpiring as a teenager, I worked a DH 13U game and when I was finished UIC asked if I could pick up another one as he had a no show across the street. I walked over to find my dad is HC of the visiting team.

We start the plate meeting and first thing out of HT coach is I protest. Okay, we'll note that in the book. Then he says he's not playing if I'm the umpire (I'm BU for this game). Call over UIC who says if HT doesn't take the field it's a forfeit. We played and my dad lost so the protest was going nowhere.

That was the last time for me. I called a fair game but took more abuse than a 17 year old should have to. Today, I don't even take games in my youngest son's division because I don't want a perception that my calls are changing standings in the league.

SRP

[carolinablue]

I have a son who has played through LL and HS. He's done now but I would never take a game he was playing in, it's just not good. I have another one coming through now, it will be the same for him. I did do a few scrimages that he was in, just to help out and it always ended the same way, I was laughing and he was pissed. Ever punched out your son on a pitch two balls off the corner.:yippie:

Edited May 28, 2010 by carolinablue

[LMSANS]

When I played LL, the umpires were my uncle, my cousin & my brother. There was another guy and that was the staff.

My uncle would push me with his balloon if he thought I was too far back.

When I was 12, playing on the all-star team, my cousin was behind the plate. He called me out on a pitch that crossed about neck high. It took me about 40 years to get him to admit that he missed the call.:yippie: