Putting the ball in play

[BigUmpire]

In youth ball we teach our young guys to use a 300 foot voice shouting "Batter up" to start the game or inning.

 

Then use a 30 foot voice to put the ball in play after any dead ball situation.

 

Lots of players, coaches, scorekeepers and fans zone out during a deadball situation and using a 300 foot or a 30 foot voice to start or resume a game/inning works great

[JaxRolo]

In youth ball we teach our young guys to use a 300 foot voice shouting "Batter up" to start the game or inning.

Then use a 30 foot voice to put the ball in play after any dead ball situation.

Lots of players, coaches, scorekeepers and fans zone out during a deadball situation and using a 300 foot or a 30 foot voice to start or resume a game/inning works great

Huh?

[BigUmpire]

One of the clinics I went to taught us to use different levels of volume when uttering verbal signals.

 

3 foot voice for situations around home plate and conversations with individual players and coaches.

 

30 foot voice for all around the diamond situations.

 

300 foot voice to really get your point across and to let the outfielders know what was said.

 

Lots of young umps are TOO quiet and this makes the sound authoritative and we grade them on this

[scrounge]

Every now and then to mix it up, I'll use a 14 meter voice myself

[noumpere]

I agree in concept, but the "30 foot voice" is still too quite.

 

I teach "let the infieders know" (which obviously includes runers) and "let the outfielders know"

 

And, fwiw, I don't announce "batter's up" at the start of every inning -- but I get why it might be useful for new umpires at very low levels.

[BigUmpire]

Every now and then to mix it up, I'll use a 14 meter voice myself

Sound travels faster in the colder air of Canada.

[maven]

And, fwiw, I don't announce "batter's up" at the start of every inning -- but I get why it might be useful for new umpires at very low levels.

 

If the batter is not on his way after the last warm-up pitch, I will say, "OK batter," on my way to brush the plate.

 

When we're ready to go, it is always "Play!"

[BigUmpire]

For infield flys in youth ball select 3000 foot voice.

 

Still doesnt work most of the time.

[Mike Prince]

 

And, fwiw, I don't announce "batter's up" at the start of every inning -- but I get why it might be useful for new umpires at very low levels.

 

If the batter is not on his way after the last warm-up pitch, I will say, "OK batter," on my way to brush the plate.

 

When we're ready to go, it is always "Play!"

 

 

If the batter does not respond (especially at lower levels) I will quietly let the coach know we need a batter.

[BigUmpire]

 

 

And, fwiw, I don't announce "batter's up" at the start of every inning -- but I get why it might be useful for new umpires at very low levels.

 

If the batter is not on his way after the last warm-up pitch, I will say, "OK batter," on my way to brush the plate.

 

When we're ready to go, it is always "Play!"

 

 

If the batter does not respond (especially at lower levels) I will quietly let the coach know we need a batter.

 

Quiet in youth ball? Good luck.

[CricketChapman]

Ironically, this happened to me last night in a 15U rec game


I am BU.  R2, R3.  BR fouls one back to the screen.  F2 briefly meets F1 halfway between Home and the mound for a conference - he hands the ball to F1.  F1 proceeds to walk toward the mound and must have seen R2 off the base.  Not even being within 6-8 feet of the rubber, he throws to F6, who's covering second.  Of course, now R3 takes off toward home.

I just look at my partner and we both have the most disappointing look on our faces.  Throw home is late as R3 "scores," then R2 takes for third; throw from F2 to third is "in time."  At this point (the "play" being over), I did not give any visual mechanic, but just said to R2, "The ball wasn't live.  Go back to second."  My partner did the same and got R3 out of the dugout to return to third.

There really was no point in trying to stop the snowball once it started rolling down the hill.

[BigUmpire]

Ironically, this happened to me last night in a 15U rec game

I am BU. R2, R3. BR fouls one back to the screen. F2 briefly meets F1 halfway between Home and the mound for a conference - he hands the ball to F1. F1 proceeds to walk toward the mound and must have seen R2 off the base. Not even being within 6-8 feet of the rubber, he throws to F6, who's covering second. Of course, now R3 takes off toward home.

I just look at my partner and we both have the most disappointing look on our faces. Throw home is late as R3 "scores," then R2 takes for third; throw from F2 to third is "in time." At this point (the "play" being over), I did not give any visual mechanic, but just said to R2, "The ball wasn't live. Go back to second." My partner did the same and got R3 out of the dugout to return to third.

There really was no point in trying to stop the snowball once it started rolling down the hill.

Yep. Watch and laugh.

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[Jeff C.]

One of my pet peeves.  I worked with a guy last night that wouldn't put it in play.   Put the ball in play!  It ain't that hard to do.  When I put it in play, people know.  The only time I'm not loud, is if no one is on base.  Umpiring 101.

[BigUmpire]

One of my pet peeves. I worked with a guy last night that wouldn't put it in play. Put the ball in play! It ain't that hard to do. When I put it in play, people know. The only time I'm not loud, is if no one is on base. Umpiring 101.

Everyone needs to know.

Right on !

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[conbo61]

I think you did OK.  If you are looking for something other than "Time" to say, you can always say "The ball is still dead".  Still raise your arms like you are calling time though and get into the infield if you are PU so people see you.

 

I have done games where it's obvious that F1 is waiting on me to put the ball back in play.  So the claim by players of not knowing the ball was dead is not so innocent...

 

I am a fan of calling "Time".  It gets peoples attention and stops everything.  One thing I would hate to see is a player get hurt on a Dead Ball.

[Dash Riprock]

"Time" and "Foul" are the only ways to kill the ball.  The (physical) mechanic is the same for both.

[law_reb]

Worked with a guy for the first time last night. We had a 5 inning jv game and a varsity doubleheader(2 7 inning games). I had the jv and the 1st varsity on the plate. Varsity went 14 innings. Then we take the field for the 2nd varsity. I'm tired(19 innings on the dish) at that point. My partner did not put the ball in play one time for the next 7 innings. Not once. Not a point, not a verbal, not anything. The funny part was it had no effect on the game. I'm not even sure anyone noticed except for me. It drove me insane. At least it made me forget how tired I was.

[law_reb]

"Time" and "Foul" are the only ways to kill the ball. The (physical) mechanic is the same for both.

But if the ball has already been "killed" by calling "time" or "foul", and the teams start playing again before you call "play", what do you call then? The ball is already "dead". Do you "kill" it again?

[maven]

 

"Time" and "Foul" are the only ways to kill the ball. The (physical) mechanic is the same for both.

But if the ball has already been "killed" by calling "time" or "foul", and the teams start playing again before you call "play", what do you call then? The ball is already "dead". Do you "kill" it again?

 

 

Since it is not "normal" to play while the ball is dead, there is no "approved" mechanic for stopping such "play."

 

In that sense, it doesn't matter. If you can get their attention with "Time!" or "No, no, no," or "Hey! The ball's dead!" -- any of those could work. If you can't, wait till they stop and tell them.

 

Perhaps that sums up the thread...

[Rich Ives]

"Time" and "Foul" are the only ways to kill the ball.  The (physical) mechanic is the same for both.

 

They are not the same.

 

Both hands up is just "time". 

 

Pointing (and verbalizing) foul is foul.  Watch the pros. They will point foul on a caught foul fly but that doesn't kill the play.

 

They will call "time" on a book-rule double or interference (maybe even obstruction) but that doesn't make it foul.

[umpire_scott]

I do think it is a hard habit to get into consistently.  I try to put the ball in play after every foul ball or any time out.  But I would say at this point I'm only at about 90%. Usually if something happens like my getting a new ball for the pitcher while the foul ball is being retrieved and then the foul ball gets returned to me I tend to get distracted and forget.

 

And it is my perception that most of the time the defensive players, including the pitcher do not treat it much differently then if I put the stop sign up as a batter settles in.

 

As far as the proper mechanic does the pitcher have to be back on the rubber and batter in the box before you put the ball in play?

[SteveJ]

As far as the proper mechanic does the pitcher have to be back on the rubber and batter in the box before you put the ball in play?

 

Of course... and don't forget F2, he needs to be ready.

[grayhawk]

Scott, you need a "routine" to ensure you put the ball in play every time it's called for.

Mine is to check to make sure the fielders are in fair territory and the battery is all ready and in synch. Then I give the count and point and call play.

Create a routine that works for you and that 90% will get much closer to 100%.

[noumpere]

.

 

As far as the proper mechanic does the pitcher have to be back on the rubber and batter in the box before you put the ball in play?

Yes

 

Depends on the code (by rule -- but it's a good practice at the levels we do)

[UMP45]

 

"Time" and "Foul" are the only ways to kill the ball.  The (physical) mechanic is the same for both.

 

They are not the same.

 

Both hands up is just "time". 

 

Pointing (and verbalizing) foul is foul.  Watch the pros. They will point foul on a caught foul fly but that doesn't kill the play.

 

They will call "time" on a book-rule double or interference (maybe even obstruction) but that doesn't make it foul.

 

They can be Rich. Ball hit down the line. You have a possible fair/foul. If the ball is close to the line, and dropped or falls untouched,you first signal with both hands up and say "FOUL" and then point foul.