Professionalism

[James Walker]

Dixie uses the fed rule on balks. I don't like it, but you gotta call it the way it says. It's happened twice to me this year. First sitch, A playing B. A down 1. Pitcher blows through the stop, batter hits a GR double. Coach A wasn't happy only one scored on the balk, and when they lost had to hear all about how I lost em the game.

Second, same two teams. Bottom 6, B down 1. Runner on first. A's F1 blows through the stop and batter hits a homer. Called em back and A won. Now I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Moral of the story, if you make the tough calls, and get them right, you're gonna pi$$ people off. But the integrity of a baseball game depends on the intgerity of the umpire.

[BigUmpire]

"But the integrity of a baseball game depends on the intgerity of the umpire"

 

Bumper Sticker
 

[HeadHunterLA]

 

 

From the AHSAA 2012-2013 Umpires Manual

Page 16, item 12

"Whenever a balk occurs, the umpire will point to the pitcher and call 'balk', then signal time, and award bases."

I don't think this wording is all inclusive. By literal interpretation, the umpire never gives a verbal "Time!"

Edit: the 1st sentence of item 12 states "When a balk occurs, the ball is dead immediately."

I thought since we were discussing NFHS, everyone knew that, but decided to add this for posterity.

Nice job of looking it up in the manual, Grasshopper....

The book is wrong! In an immediate dead ball situation, the first word out if your mouth should be TIME (as a wise man said above).

So what do you echo?  "Time", "Balk", or both?

 

I typically echo "sh*t" when it is the 4th balk my partner has called in a 14U game that has gone on way too damn long already

[HeadHunterLA]

Ignoring the rules you don't agree with is the way to go.

Finally!!!  A true voice of reason joins the fray.  I've always been a huge fan of make it up as you go LOL