3 quick easy yes or no questions

[JaxRolo]

Yes and no

<br />Thank you for such a well thought-out, clear, concise, and informative answer.He did say he wanted a yes or no answer!

[Chip]

I'll add to the above -- you should say ball on every pitch when you are starting out -- it helps with your timing.    Especailly at the lower levels, if you aren't doing it, then you wait on a strike and come up with it, it will appear that you've changed your mind.  Not what you want.

 

 

As you get more experience, you can eliminate in when the ball goes to the backstop.  After a few more years, when it hits the dirt.  After a few more years, when the catcher moves a lot, etc.

 

Even in all those cases, though, it's never wrong to do so.

 

On the foul ball issue -- if you notice a runner is well away from the base for some reason (tieing his shoe, or whatever), just hold your hand up to your partner.  The whole point of the rule is so that neither team is disadvantaged (the defense by a 89' lead; the offense by a 45' lead).  If both teams are happy, then play ball.

 

I call balls pretty much every time, except when it's a pitch worthy of a Bob Uecker comment. With no runners on base, when a ball gets launched to the screen, I will sometimes withhold the call, then turn to the catcher as he returns from chasing it and deadpan, "That was a ball. A little high." 99 out of 100 will chuckle. The 100th doesn't seem to get it. Those are the ones that make me nervous about whether they're actually going to be able to protect me. 

[Pete Peterson Sr]

 

 

Yes and no

<br />Thank you for such a well thought-out, clear, concise, and informative answer. He did say he wanted a yes or no answer!

 

Key word: OR !

[Richvee]

 

 

Put the ball in play:

1. with a signal (point), every time
2. with signal and verbal, at the start of each half inning and with runners on base

The PU is responsible for ensuring that runners are in the vicinity of the base. BU has no responsibility for this, since the BU does not put the ball in play.

Question related to this. Let's say R1 is 10-15 feet off 1B. PU doesn't notice and puts the ball in play. Should a BU call "time", or let R1 start well off the bag? 

 

 

 

 

Plus, why would I see that?

 

I don't know..maybe a hot mom on the RF foul line in and a 15-1 score in the 3rd inning? 

 

Seriously though, the idea of hold up a hand while time is still out if the runner(s) are well of the bag sounds like a decent practice.

[th3]

but rich...hes looking at the runners...your back is to them

[Richvee]

but rich...hes looking at the runners...your back is to them

In B, foul ball. We don't have blinders on. It's pretty easy to see R1 returning to 1st while F1 is headed to the mound or rubbing up the new ball. All I'm saying is at that point if I see R1 standing way off the bag I think putting a hand up and telling R1 to retouch isn't a bad idea. 

[th3]

ok..agreed

[millerforrest]

So on close pitches, you don't verbalize "Ball"? That's dangerous.

[millerforrest]

BU does NOT need to keep a hand up. Just inform the PU you have time. Im sure PU will figure out who has "time" and when they're ready.

[noumpere]

So on close pitches, you don't verbalize "Ball"? That's dangerous.

Who doesn't?  When you bring up a thread that's a week old, you need to quote somebody,

 

But, I agree -- at most levels the ball should be verbalized.

[Mr Ump]

Put the ball in play:

1. with a signal (point), every time
2. with signal and verbal, at the start of each half inning and with runners on base

The PU is responsible for ensuring that runners are in the vicinity of the base. BU has no responsibility for this, since the BU does not put the ball in play.

I agree with maven. I am a very verbal umpire. You will know what is going on when I am on the game. No silent umpire here. That is my style. I start every inning with a verbal play. If there is a foul ball (dead ball) with runners on base I give a verbal play. I also signal every time. If no one on base I signal play but no verbal.

 

Had it tonight in a college wood bat league. Ball goes out of play, put new ball in and pitcher immediately throws over to first to pick off runner. Partner signals safe and the batter turns to me and says, "You been saying play all night, the ball was not live was it?" I replied, "That is correct, thanks for paying attention. I would not of let him been picked off." Batter replied, "I wish more umps did it your way."

 

The rulebook says all pitches should be verbally called therefore that is what I do. I call all balls verbally. Just keeps everyone in the game, stop people from asking me the count and helps the scoreboard operator. When I work with partners that don't  call balls I am always wondering what the count is. A MLB ump once told me that not saying ball verbally gives the impression you are not confident in your calls. I find pitchers and coaches don't like hearing ball over and over so the pitcher starts throwing more strikes and the coaches / catchers get on him if he doesn't. 

 

With all of that said to each their own. 

[Thunderheads]

Maybe a stupid question but where does it say in mlb rules runner must retag on foul ball? And what is the penalty.

@millerforrest   ........ you "liked" this ....probably because it represents some "questioning of the rules" I'd assume......

 

 

Maybe a stupid question but where does it say in mlb rules runner must retag on foul ball? And what is the penalty.

5.09(e)

 

@millerforrest  ........   snap,  LOL

[maven]

Had it tonight in a college wood bat league. Ball goes out of play, put new ball in and pitcher immediately throws over to first to pick off runner. Partner signals safe and the batter turns to me and says, "You been saying play all night, the ball was not live was it?" I replied, "That is correct, thanks for paying attention. I would not of let him been picked off." Batter replied, "I wish more umps did it your way."

A mechanic for you to consider: since the ball is not in play, BU should not be ruling on this "tag attempt." When a "dead-ball pickoff" is imminent and I'm PU, I will step out and kill it before the ball leaves F1's hand. "Time! Time! The ball is not in play!"

 

If I can prevent that runner sliding needlessly or even a throw over to F3, I will try. There's no point, I don't want to have to "undo" an "out" call that my napping partner made, and if someone got hurt during a dead-ball that would be bad.

 

Reset, remind F2 that you've been putting the ball in play every time, and resume.

[millerforrest]

Wanna give me a chance to replay BEFORE you ASS U ME anything? I bet you ASS U ME a lot while trying to umpire too?

[HARTUMPIRE]

Thanks for y'all's help. I also got a third.

3. As field umpire on all foul balls do I have to check that the runner on base has tagged up then point to the plate umpire that all runners have tagged up? Isn't that a wiffle ball rule?

 

 

 

Maybe a stupid question but where does it say in mlb rules runner must retag on foul ball? And what is the penalty.

5.09(e) 5.09 The ball becomes dead and runners advance one base or return to their bases, without liability to be put out when-

(a) A pitched ball touches a batter, or his clothing while in his legal batting position; runners, if forced, advance;

(b) The plate umpire interferes with the catcher's throw attempting to prevent a stolen base or retire a runner on a pick off play; runners may not advance

NOTE: The interference shall be disregarded if the catcher's throw retired the runner.

( c) A balk is commited; runners advance; see Penalty 8.05

(d) A ball is illegally batted; runners return;

(e) A foul ball is not caught, in which case runners return to their bases. The umpire-in-chief shall not put the ball in play until all runners have retouched their bases;

(f) A fair ball touches a runner or an umpire on fair territory before it touches an infielder including the pitcher, or touches an umpire before it has passed an infielder other than the pitcher; runners advance, if forced.

Prior to the implementation of 5.09(e), base runners WERE NOT required to retag their bases prior to putting a DEAD BALL back into play. So base runners would stand a few steps from the next base they were advancing to not in fear of being called out since the ball is dead and once the umpire put the ball back into "PLAY", the base runners would just simply step onto the next base they were advancing to. 

 

And sometimes you have to ask yourself, "where do they come up with some of these silly rules?"      

[zm1283]

I point the ball in play at the start of the game and after a dead ball with runners on base. I've never really figured out the need to do it after a foul ball with no runners on. 

[ALStripes17]

I point the ball in play at the start of the game and after a dead ball with runners on base. I've never really figured out the need to do it after a foul ball with no runners on.

Rhythm ... personal preference