First game of the season

[Moriarty_45]

I had my first game of the season today without too much excitement. FED middle school game. I had a few interesting calls. In the TOP of first with a runner on the pitcher went to his mouth while on the rubber. Balk. Bottom of the 1^st, the opposing pitcher did the same. Twice. Balk, balk.

My partner, a first year umpire had a pickoff at second where he got the out on a tag, turned away from the play and missed the F6 picking up the ball off of the ground. Ooops. I was pretty sure that was what I saw from behind the plate. The 1^st base coach is hollering “he dropped itâ€. My partner is now looking into me. He wants help. I meet him by the mound and tell him I was pretty sure F6 had dropped the ball but not 100%. I tell him no way he can change this call based on what I saw. He is going to have to live with it. Lesson learned.

I had a HBP I made stay in the box. Pitcher was lobbing in free throws in at about 35 mph. The pitch was in the middle of the batter’s box, batter had about 5 minutes to avoid being hit. He stood in, turned only at the very last second to take it in the back. I went back and read old posts related to this subject and feel I got it right even though it seems a lot of folks would give him first because the pitch was in the batter’s box.

[yawetag]

The pitch was in the middle of the batter’s box, batter had about 5 minutes to avoid being hit. He stood in, turned only at the very last second to take it in the back. I went back and read old posts related to this subject and feel I got it right even though it seems a lot of folks would give him first because the pitch was in the batter’s box.

I'm giving him first. For one, he made a movement, even if it was to soften the blow. Secondly, the ball was so far inside the box that I can't think of a place the batter could have gone to evade it.

[semper_fi_72]

The pitch was in the middle of the batter’s box, batter had about 5 minutes to avoid being hit. He stood in, turned only at the very last second to take it in the back. I went back and read old posts related to this subject and feel I got it right even though it seems a lot of folks would give him first because the pitch was in the batter’s box.

I'm giving him first. For one, he made a movement, even if it was to soften the blow. Secondly, the ball was so far inside the box that I can't think of a place the batter could have gone to evade it.

"Time" send him to First Base.

You said "So far inside the batters box" F1 screwed up not the batter don't reward the screw up.

[carolinablue]

+1

[Welpe]

Agree with the others, I'm giving him first.

[mfd110]

Giving him first on this one....

[Moriarty_45]

Dang, nobody gonna give me some back up on this? :smachhead:

[cyclonehokiece]

Dang, nobody gonna give me some back up on this?

As I did not see the play, I will never question your judgment at that moment. However, if I had a similar play, I would have a hard time not giving him first. As I say (and have heard) the book says he has to make an attempt to get out of the way. Sometimes, there is just no good way to do so.

[JaxRolo]

Sometimes not moving is an attempt to get out of the way.

[mstaylor]

And in steps Mike to be the dissenter. If he stands there and watches it hit him, I am not giving him first. I understand penalizing the pitcher but the rule still requires the batter to not let it hit him. I'm not saying he has to avoid, he just can't let it hit him. By turning at the last second to soften the blow does not fit the rule.

Now I will allow most batters to go to first, even if they simply twist. What I will not do is let them watch it in and let it hit them. I understand a batter being frozen by a fastball and being fooled by a curveball. The thing is you should be able to read that and award accordingly.

[Moriarty_45]

What I will not do is let them watch it in and let it hit them. I understand a batter being frozen by a fastball and being fooled by a curveball. The thing is you should be able to read that and award accordingly.

That is what I wish I would have put in the OP. He watched it in and let it hit him. There was no being fooled by the pitch. It had HBP written all over it when it left the pitcher's hand.

[mstaylor]

I fixed your typo in the thread name.

[yawetag]

I have two times I'll keep a runner at the plate:

1. He makes no movement on an obvious HBP (doesn't count for being frozen on fastball or fooled by curveball, as Mike said)

2. He turns or leans into the pitch to make it HBP.

Anything else is getting 1B.

[mstaylor]

Andrew, in this situation it sounds like he watched it in and turned at the last second. I'm doubtful I'm sending him.

[Triguy29]

I had a situation like this in my 3rd game ever. I didn't send him and the coach went crazy on me. Now he was set up way inside and really didn't move at all. I stuck to my guns and later my partner said I had it right. So I agree that you shouldn't have sent him.

[cuban]

Sometimes not moving is an attempt to get out of the way.

Very well said.

[MUAump2]

The pitch was in the middle of the batter’s box, batter had about 5 minutes to avoid being hit. He stood in, turned only at the very last second to take it in the back. I went back and read old posts related to this subject and feel I got it right even though it seems a lot of folks would give him first because the pitch was in the batter’s box.

I'm giving him first. For one, he made a movement, even if it was to soften the blow. Secondly, the ball was so far inside the box that I can't think of a place the batter could have gone to evade it.

Just because he moves (even if to soften the blow) doesn't negate the fact that the batter must attempt to AVOID being hit by the pitch. Moving to soften the blow isn't moving to avoid the pitch. He stays a the plate.

[Stan W.]

And in steps Mike to be the dissenter. If he stands there and watches it hit him, I am not giving him first. I understand penalizing the pitcher but the rule still requires the batter to not let it hit him. I'm not saying he has to avoid, he just can't let it hit him. By turning at the last second to soften the blow does not fit the rule.

Now I will allow most batters to go to first, even if they simply twist. What I will not do is let them watch it in and let it hit them. I understand a batter being frozen by a fastball and being fooled by a curveball. The thing is you should be able to read that and award accordingly.

In reading the OP, I chuckled knowing that somewhere in this list of replies would be my old friend MTaylor.............. having had long assocoation with Mike, we agree on most things....this being is the one area that we disagree......I am more liberal than MST on awarding the HBP.... the salient point being the pitch was "in the middle of the batters box"...and that he had moved......Im awarding the HBP.....

But so glad that my old friend MST has remained consistent in his opinion, no matter how wrong he may be........lol......... :notworthy:

[mstaylor]

I agree, Stan and I have sparred over this for years. Of course he probably roots for a Pittsburgh football team too. Either that or, god forbid, Philly. Probably the HBP difference between him and I may be one or two a year at most.

[Triguy29]

I just had my first scrimmage of the year. It ended 29-2 and could have been much worse. It went 5 innings in 2.5 hrs. OMG what a long terrible game to watch. The winning team would only let their runners move one base no matter where the ball was hit. But it was still fun being out there and getting in the right spots.

[mstaylor]

I am doing a scrimmage tomorrow, Regular season starts Tuesday, I have the plate.