Weekend Tourney Ball...

[treydawgmt]

So, I told parts of this story to a few in the chat, but I'll post it for all now.

 

I did 2 semi's and a final in some 14U ball this Sunday.  Game 1 started things off quite interesting.

 

I'm PU, in the first inning I have a HT coach question the length of the bases.  (This is a multi-length field.  Probably 70/80/90 I think.)  1st base coach (AC) thinks yesterday they were FURTHER away.  Supposed to be at 90'.  We're on the farthest peg.  I tell him, no, I'm pretty sure this is 90'.  He questions it like 2 more times right there as his own HC tells him, "No, I'm pretty sure 90' is the farthest peg.  It isn't like we would have been on a 95' base yesterday!"  That was just odd.

 

Now we're in the 3rd inning.  VT makes a pitching change.  #25 comes in for #6 we'll say.  #25 takes his 8 warmups, and is ready to go.  HT coach asks for time, comes out, tells me the pitcher has metal spikes.  I'm like, uh, yeah, ok??  He tells me the pitcher isn't allowed to have them, it's a rule.  I say I'm not aware.  I ask my partner, he's not aware.  HT coach is adamant that it's a rule.  I call time and run to the tourney rep, who is just behind our field.  He informs me it IS a rule that was sent in an email to all the coaches last week.  (Of course we wouldn't want to inform the umpires of this rule, but anyway...)  He tells me he'd like the guy to change if he has something else, but he's really not that worried.  I go talk w/VT coach and pitcher.  Kid wears size 13's and doesn't have any other shoes.  I go talk w/the HT coach, tell him situation, ask if he can just allow the kid to play.  He says absolutely not, it's a rule, he wants it enforced.  I'm like, OK.  Tell the VT coach, the kid ends up switching shoes w/the one other guy on the field who wears like 12's.  All is good.  (Though you can tell the VT is like, really...)

 

So then the VT is batting, and one of the kids says the pitchers shirt is distracting him because it keeps moving since it isn't tucked in, can he tuck it in?  I ask him to do so, because that too is a rule! (haha)

 

Then in the 5th or 6th inning, the VT is batting.  #25 get's a single and reaches 1st base.  HT calls time, informs me #25 should be called out for BOO.  I was like, "WTH?"  (Well, not totally, I had heard them getting together and researching the BOO rules on their iPad for the last 2 innings.)  He informs me #25 was an unannounced sub, and therefore is BOO, and should be called out.  I tell him #25 was announced as the pitcher and has PITCHED MULTIPLE INNINGS!  He then informs me he isn't on the lineup card as a substitute so he cannot be an announced sub, and should be called out.  I inform him that no, that means he is an unlisted sub, there is NO penalty, and I will let the VT coach know to give you any other subs he may use now.  VT coach says he's not using anymore.  (They're down 7-0 now, with at most 1 1/2 innings left.  Ended up less than that when the score got to 8-0 for the run rule.)

 

That was all game 1.  Game two pretty uneventful except one play where there is a 5-3 putout but the throw is bad, and so F3 takes the catch just a few steps towards HP.  F3 does a swipe tag, tag applied, and force of the runner causes the ball to pop out.  My partner calls him out and tries to sell it.  Coach comes to ME to reverse the call (same coach as HT in game 1...), I kindly inform him to talk to my partner.  He does, gets nowhere.  We move on.  (I guess coach asked my partner to get help, he didn't saying he had the best view in the park.  My reply to the help would have been "Jim, I saw the back of the kids jersey, I got nadda for you!)

 

Championship game had one interesting screw up.  One of the teams has been at bat FOR the freak EVER.  I mean, FOREVER.  It is HOT out, game 3 of the day, about the hottest part of the day.  I'm BU in this game.  There are NO outs still.  Kids ask 2 or 3 times for the number of outs, I tell them 0.  Then there's a sac fly.  2 batters later the runner asks me how many outs.  For some reason I can't remember.  I ask my partner.  He tells me 2 outs.  I'm like, ok, I remember the one out, maybe I forgot one?  So I tell the runner at 2nd and SS who has by now asked me also, 2 outs.  Kid at bat strikes out.  Everyone runs off the field.  Parents are screaming 2 outs, 2 outs.  My partner and I consult both coaches, yup 2 outs.  So we call everyone back.  Defensive team then tries tagging 2nd and getting the runner out for abandonment!  (No, different coach, problem guy's team lost game 2, no championship game for them...)  I was like, absolutely not, not when it's our mistake.  He pushed for a few seconds, "well, there IS a rule where you can call him out."  Um, no coach, sorry, I'm not calling him out when *I* screwed the pooch.

 

Most exciting/interesting/f*ed up 3 games I've had in a LOOONG time.  Sorry for the long post. 

[bluejerred]

It never fails that those type of coaches who are over the top are usually the ones that have a team that doesn't perform well, makes mistakes due to poor coaching, and have players in positions that they shouldn't be playing due to favoritism.  It's one thing to appeal a blatant rule violation; it's another to call out ticky-tack things just so he can have something to protest if you don't agree with him.  While I have just starting umpiring, it's nothing that I haven't seen before.  Too many people watching YouTube videos of baseball managers and failing to develop a true sporting attitude.

[catsbackr]

"We're done here coach, go back to your dugout/coaching box."

[mstaylor]

I told Trey in chat to apply 11.03g.