Catcher talking to the batters

[TheGeneral]

I was brand new, in a very sandlot minors tournament. 8-10 year old kid pitch. The director said the catchers cannot be distracting in any way, but left all kinds of grey area on how to handle situations (and not only in this area, mind you). So, a green ump, a redneck tournament, and hazy rules. Wonderful.

First game, catcher is chirping. I tell him to "knock it off" once the pitcher is in motion, but after a couple silent pitches, he creeps back in. I give him another warning (I know, I know, I was new) and he shuts up... for another batter or so.

Kid yells "swing!" as the pitch comes in, and I respond with a firm "dead ball, catcher's interference!" and point the batter towards first.

Not a single person argued, complained, and didn't have a problem with this the rest of the tournament.

[blue23ll]

Did you invoke 9.01b by chance?

[MidAmUmp]

 

...I couldn't even tell you what 9.01(b) says.  I've said numerous times - Use the rule book as a guide and enfoce the rules with common sense and fair play.

 

You don’t need to be a rules guru to know what 9.01(b) means. Every umpire should know that if his game has gotten so bad that he has to order players/coaches to do/not do things, then they had better comply or else face the consequences.

So...I'm trying to figure out how this 9.01(b) works because we never talked about it during my 5 weeks at Wendelstedt and I've never taught it in any clinics I've ever worked. 

 

Am I invoking 9.01(b) when I tell a catcher to not hold a pitch, or to not frame a pitch, and should I eject him if he doesn't comply with my order?  Because if I'm not supposed to eject on those, I'm also not going to eject if I tell a catcher to knock it off if he says something to the batter and I see the batter takes offense to it.  But if I am supposed to eject for all of those things, I've been doing it wrong for a long time.

 

I mean all of that in jest.  And I agree we're both being preventive in what we are doing.  I'm simply doing it without having to use an obscure rule where I might have to eject a player (which under most rules comes with a suspension) over something as petty as telling a batter what pitch is coming.

[ricka56]

 

So...I'm trying to figure out how this 9.01(b) works because we never talked about it during my 5 weeks at Wendelstedt and I've never taught it in any clinics I've ever worked.

 

Forget about the rule number, its just easier to cite a number than it is to copy the rule text or quote any unwritten action/consequences common sense practice.

 

I've never been to pro-school, but I can't imagine them not going over what an umpire is supposed to do when a player/coach deliberately blows him off.

 

I also wonder if there was any mention of not getting oneself into a position where EJ was the only way out.

[mstaylor]

 

 

...I couldn't even tell you what 9.01(b) says.  I've said numerous times - Use the rule book as a guide and enfoce the rules with common sense and fair play.

 

You don’t need to be a rules guru to know what 9.01(b) means. Every umpire should know that if his game has gotten so bad that he has to order players/coaches to do/not do things, then they had better comply or else face the consequences.

So...I'm trying to figure out how this 9.01(b) works because we never talked about it during my 5 weeks at Wendelstedt and I've never taught it in any clinics I've ever worked. 

 

Am I invoking 9.01(b) when I tell a catcher to not hold a pitch, or to not frame a pitch, and should I eject him if he doesn't comply with my order?  Because if I'm not supposed to eject on those, I'm also not going to eject if I tell a catcher to knock it off if he says something to the batter and I see the batter takes offense to it.  But if I am supposed to eject for all of those things, I've been doing it wrong for a long time.

 

I mean all of that in jest.  And I agree we're both being preventive in what we are doing.  I'm simply doing it without having to use an obscure rule where I might have to eject a player (which under most rules comes with a suspension) over something as petty as telling a batter what pitch is coming.

 

How to use 9.01b and you doing things wrong for a long time are two different conversations.