Handling Foul Balls

[Dragon29]

OK, so I worked a LL 11-12 Sectional Championship yesterday; we did 4-man (which was fun); I was U1.

 

Game went very well - even though 4-man was new(ish) to all of us, only minor mistakes were made and we not only didn't miss any calls, we always had the right # of umpires at each call, so all-in-all a pretty good effort on our part.  Game ended w/the home team, down 2 runs in the bottom of the 6th, hitting a walk-off Grand Slam.

 

My question is about something what was said in post-game.

 

Our District UIC - a good guy and a very good umpire - was U3 for the game, and afterwards as we were going around he said to me, "You didn't bring a glove.  Umpires should not, for any reason, handle a baseball."

 

He was referring to the fact that once, when a foul ball was hit down the RF line, I had the F3, who had just gotten the ball back from F9, toss it to me.  Our PU had already given F1 a new ball and everyone was ready to go, so I stuck it in my pocket and gave it back to the PU between innings.  I did this in an effort to not delay the game any more than necessary; I've done it before.

 

So - any thoughts, feelings, opinions about this?  I felt like I was dinged in an eval for doing something I thought would benefit the game.  I'd like to hear other opinions.

 

Thanks,

 

 

[JaxRolo]

Our College Association says that BU should never even handle a ball at all during a game

[elares]

Our SoCal LL District encourages BU to get that ball and hang on to it until convenient to return it to PU.  Just as you did.

[HeadHunterLA]

I would respectfully say that your UIC on this particular subject has his head frimly planted up you know where.  I have never heard anything like this.

[grayhawk]

ANYTHING that keeps a LL tournament game moving is fine with me!  With all the substitution/MPR/SPR confusion and how long it sometimes takes to get changes reported and recorded, these are the slowest games of the year.  Grab the ball and play on!

[Dragon29]

Our College Association says that BU should never even handle a ball at all during a game

Jax - at the college level, (which I have not done) there are usually ball-boys (or at least, a gopher of some kind) right?

 

So, I definitely wouldn't touch that ball if there was someone else on the field whose job it was to corral it.

 

This was LL.

[blue23ll]

If that was all the UIC had for an upgrade, then I would suggest you did pretty damn good!

[Umpiresoftball]

I wouldn't worry about what happen you did the right thing some uic just don't think or use common sense. the one thing that grinds my geer is that when fans throw the ball back into field when we are in play mood.

[umpcoachfather]

Hopefully one day he will be in A and get plastered by a line drive, if so walk up to him and tell him the same thing. 

[Dragon29]

Hopefully one day he will be in A and get plastered by a line drive, if so walk up to him and tell him the same thing. 

 Whoa!  I was just lookin' to see how other people felt about this - I don't want the guy to get hurt.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys - I haven't been doing this as long as some others, but I thought it was an odd thing to say.

[BigUmpire]

ANYTHING that keeps a LL tournament game moving is fine with me!  With all the substitution/MPR/SPR confusion and how long it sometimes takes to get changes reported and recorded, these are the slowest games of the year.  Grab the ball and play on!

Exactly.

Bonehead UIC!

[kylejt]

Okay fellas, try this; Bust out from D, down the line to see a diving catch/no catch. fair/foul with baseball in your front pocket. Then, you need some BIG mechanics to sell your call, again, with a ball in your front pocket. Congratulation, you look really stupid running around with ball in your pocket. Oh, and if it falls out on your journey, that'll go over really well.

 

No need to handle the baseball if you're on the bases. If he can throw it to you, he can throw it home (hopefully).

 

"Throw it in to your catcher"

 

Your PU should be on the same page, directing F2 to call for it, as he throws another one to F1. Properly done, it doesn't delay the game one bit.

 

It may seem like a good idea, until you need to fire out to the gap.

[BigUmpire]

Okay fellas, try this; Bust out from D, down the line to see a diving catch/no catch. fair/foul with baseball in your front pocket. Then, you need some BIG mechanics to sell your call, again, with a ball in your front pocket. Congratulation, you look really stupid running around with ball in your pocket. Oh, and if it falls out on your journey, that'll go over really well.

 

No need to handle the baseball if you're on the bases. If he can throw it to you, he can throw it home (hopefully).

 

"Throw it in to your catcher"

 

Your PU should be on the same page, directing F2 to call for it, as he throws another one to F1. Properly done, it doesn't delay the game one bit.

 

It may seem like a good idea, until you need to fire out to the gap.

No one but other umpires will notice if we have a ball in our pocket.

I will trade this for speeding the game up some.

Its a risk- reward type of thing.

[Dragon29]

No need to handle the baseball if you're on the bases. If he can throw it to you, he can throw it home (hopefully).

 

I do see your point about how it looks, and honestly when I first started doing this, I thought about that, but then came to the same conclusion purported by BigUmpire, above.  

 

Re:the bolded portion above - I work mostly LL Jrs; I do some 11-12 ball and some 15-16/17-18 in LL, Pony and some travel ball as well, but mainly LL Jrs - at least, lately.  So, no - F9 can't always be counted on to accurately throw the ball anywhere, so I have seen this speed up the game.

 

Second, I've never even had a ball get close to coming out of my pocket as I move around the field, so I don't think that's an issue.

 

I'm not trying to defend the practice, as I'll probably keep doing it now that I see how most umpires feel about it - at least, most of the umpires that responded.

 

Thanks

[JaxRolo]

Don't handle anyone's balls on the field!!!

[HokieUmp]

Is that a baseball in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?

[BigUmpire]

Both.

[SoCal Lurker]

Okay fellas, try this; Bust out from D, down the line to see a diving catch/no catch. fair/foul with baseball in your front pocket. Then, you need some BIG mechanics to sell your call, again, with a ball in your front pocket. Congratulation, you look really stupid running around with ball in your pocket. Oh, and if it falls out on your journey, that'll go over really well.

 

But isn't that why you should wear a ball bag when doing the bases?!   

[HokieUmp]

Both.

 

Ohhhhh.....kaaaaaayyy.

 

I'm not sure if I'm more disturbed by a) your answer, or b) the fact I'm somewhat flattered.

[kylejt]

If the defense can get it to you, then the first or third baseman can throw it to the catcher in less than two seconds.

 

Don't get caught with a baseball in your front pocket.

[BigUmpire]

If the defense can get it to you, then the first or third baseman can throw it to the catcher in less than two seconds.

 

Don't get caught with a baseball in your front pocket.

In all age groups?

I have seen a stray ball thrown all over the field for a long time-MY TIME!

[kylejt]

You need your PU on the same page, to make this work right.

 

When I'm the PU, and see a foul ball down the line, I'll throw one out to F1, and tell F2 to call for the errant ball.

 

Does it work every time? Of course not. But I don't want my BU(s) running about the field with a baseball in their front pocket. It's uncomfortable (ever have one shift on you, as you're darting around the field? I have.), looks stupid, and could drop out on the grass as you're running (seen it).

 

I'm all for speeding up an already slow game. But there's better, more effective ways of doing it. If you truly believe your F3 or F5 can't make that throw in, and feel the need to grab it yourself, just lob it in a bullpen, or to a bench player. Just don't put it in your pocket, fellas.

[Engineer]

I do mostly park district game and I've had this happen many times. I normally tell them to throw it to the catcher and won't personally take the ball unless it's between innings. However, I have had situations where everyone is ready for play and a foul ball gets tossed back in where I have stuck it in my pocket until the end of the at-bat.

[mstaylor]

If things are semi set at home I will tell them to give it to the base coach, most foul balls go to him anyway.<br /><br />Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2<br /><br />