Putting the ball back in after a foul ball

[BigUmpire]

<looks around furtively>

I don't put the ball in play at the start of an inning, either.

Nope.

I do because it kind of wakes people up.

[umpstu]

Anytime the ball is dead (hopefully we know that list) nothing can legally happen until we put the ball back in play.

Is it critical with no runners on base?  No, it's not the end of the world.

 

It has been my experience that most umpires who DON'T make it a habit of doing it EVERY time will OCCASIONALLY forget to do it even with runners on base.

Exactly

[MooseLoop]

I don't see minor league or college games much, if at all, so I can't benefit from their example.  But I do attend a few MLB games a year, and sometimes see MLB on tv.  But point taken about not relying on MLB practices, as well as the rattlesnake maxim.

 

My possibly incorrect belief that the ball is not dead between innings is based on what I was told when I first got into umpiring, supported by the lack of a rule making it dead.  Sort of like when B1 makes out: the ball is not dead but nothing can happen.  So I consider the ball to be effectively, but not technically, dead between half-innings.   @JaxRolo, other than common sense  , why do you think the ball is dead between innings?

 

I work mainly youth baseball, from 9yo to 16yo, with a fair amount of high school games and summer college wood-bat tournaments.  Also a smattering of fp hs softball.

 

@Matt, thanks for your moral support.

 

Bottom line is that my apparently bizarre between-innings-ball-status belief matters little, but I'll try saying and pointing "play" at the beginning of half-innings, at least for awhile.

[noumpere]

It's llive for at least a little while -- you can still have an appeal.

[lawump]

We had a long discussion on umpire.org forums about 5 to 7 years ago as to whether or not the ball was "dead" between innings.  Eventually, I reached out Jaksa or Roder (I don't remember which one) and he stated that based on his research it is dead.  (I understand that that is not an "official" ruling, but it is pretty close to authoritative.)

 

Also, for what its worth, I would have been "dinged' on my MiLB evaluation if I did not put the ball back in play at the start of each half inning.

[JonnyCat]

We had a long discussion on umpire.org forums about 5 to 7 years ago as to whether or not the ball was "dead" between innings.  Eventually, I reached out Jaksa or Roder (I don't remember which one) and he stated that based on his research it is dead.  (I understand that that is not an "official" ruling, but it is pretty close to authoritative.)

 

Also, for what its worth, I would have been "dinged' on my MiLB evaluation if I did not put the ball back in play at the start of each half inning.

The WUM also agrees that the ball is dead between innings. Section 5.3.1, page 72.

[grayhawk]

Reasonable to say that it's still live until all infielders have left fair territory (the point at which an appeal can still be made)?  But once all infielders have left fair territory, that is the point at which the ball becomes dead?

[JaxRolo]

My possibly incorrect belief that the ball is not dead between innings is based on what I was told when I first got into umpiring, supported by the lack of a rule making it dead. Sort of like when B1 makes out: the ball is not dead but nothing can happen. So I consider the ball to be effectively, but not technically, dead between half-innings. @JaxRolo, other than common sense , why do you think the ball is dead between innings?

.

I'll ask you this.

Between innings pitcher has a ball. Infielders have one and outfielders have one.

Which one is live??

[JonnyCat]

Reasonable to say that it's still live until all infielders have left fair territory (the point at which an appeal can still be made)?  But once all infielders have left fair territory, that is the point at which the ball becomes dead?

I think so Grayhawk. 8.4.1 in the WUM talks about Defensive's Appeals Restrictions. Seems to agree with your last question, although it does not specifically say the ball is dead at that point. Using verbiage from both 5.3.1 and 8.4.1, it seems reasonable that the ball is dead at that point.

[MooseLoop]

 

My possibly incorrect belief that the ball is not dead between innings is based on what I was told when I first got into umpiring, supported by the lack of a rule making it dead. Sort of like when B1 makes out: the ball is not dead but nothing can happen. So I consider the ball to be effectively, but not technically, dead between half-innings. @JaxRolo, other than common sense , why do you think the ball is dead between innings?

.

I'll ask you this.

Between innings pitcher has a ball. Infielders have one and outfielders have one.

Which one is live??

 

 

If a ball is live, it would be the one that is a game ball, which in my games is the one up with which the pitcher is warming.

 

Thank you to those who posted citations to authoritative interpretations.  Although I'd like to see the actual wording, I'll take your word for it. I stand corrected, at least until some other authority says the ball is live between innings and I don't need to put the ball in play to start the next half-inning.

[BigUmpire]

"I'll take your word for it"

 

Wow.

 

Good luck MooseLoop.

 

Are you from Missouri?

[JaxRolo]

Hard to believe we have 87 posts on putting the ball back in play!!! Yikes.

 

Just do it!

[JaxRolo]

It's llive for at least a little while -- you can still have an appeal.

not really. Fed allows dead ball appeals.

[BaltimoreUmpire]

Hard to believe we have 87 posts on putting the ball back in play!!! Yikes.

Just do it!

Worse yet I forgot about this thread, I got the answer nearly 80 posts ago. I feel partly responsible for this runaway train.