Game management?

[woodiemiller]

Home team is up 9-0 in the bottom of the 5th. Should an umpire "squeeze" the visiting teams pitcher a little (border line strikes are now balls) in order to get the potential mercy rule 10th run on base to close out the game? Save 2 innings worth of pitching for everyone? Is that even ethical?

[scrounge]

What do you think?

[grayhawk]

I never squeeze.  

[Sut'n Blue]

 

If you have to ask.....

[UmpireFever]

If your gonna do that, you might as well ask them if you can leave and they finish the game without you.

[ricka56]

Y'know, the baseball gods do lurk here on U-E, doncha...or is this just a little troll trying to create a stink.

[noumpere]

Home team is up 9-0 in the bottom of the 5th. Should an umpire "squeeze" the visiting teams pitcher a little (border line strikes are now balls) in order to get the potential mercy rule 10th run on base to close out the game? Save 2 innings worth of pitching for everyone? Is that even ethical?

​Starting it in the 5th inning is too late.  Start in the 3rd or 4th inning and then you'll be perceived as "more consistent" and save an extra 1/2 inning.

 

[kstrunk]

A strike in the 1st is a strike in the 7th. Another post recently said (wisely), call strikes early and the game will move as fast as it can (paraphrasing of course). 

I know a couple guys who have poor reputations because their strike zone is determined by the score, count, and time. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be that guy. 

Let the players determine the outcome of the game.

[Thunderheads]

Y'know, the baseball gods do lurk here on U-E, doncha...or is this just a little troll trying to create a stink.

​He's not trolling ...he always asks questions like this to make us all think.  Everytime he does, people get pissed, and I don't understand it.  He's just striking (no pun) up some conversation ... think-outside-the-box type stuff ....that's all.

 

To answer Woodie's question ...........  NO ........... keep it where it is .....

[scrounge]

​He's not trolling ...he always asks questions like this to make us all think.  Everytime he does, people get pissed, and I don't understand it.  He's just striking (no pun) up some conversation ... think-outside-the-box type stuff ....that's all.

 

To answer Woodie's question ...........  NO ........... keep it where it is .....

​I think he is, but that's neither here nor there. At best - again, just in my opinion - it comes across as a condescending "what would you little people do" kind of question. But enough meta-discussion....just my $0.02.

[Thunderheads]

​I think he is, but that's neither here nor there. At best - again, just in my opinion - it comes across as a condescending "what would you little people do" kind of question. But enough meta-discussion....just my $0.02.

​While I understand your comment thoroughly .... I think you're reading into it.  I've had PMs between him ....his intention is discussion

[elares]

NO!

Home team is up 9-0 in the bottom of the 5th. Should an umpire "squeeze" the visiting teams pitcher a little (border line strikes are now balls) in order to get the potential mercy rule 10th run on base to close out the game? Save 2 innings worth of pitching for everyone? Is that even ethical?

​NO!

[Richvee]

No. 

I think a more interesting question on this would be, 
The score is 15-1 visitors leading, top of the 5th.  Do you "enlarge" the  strike zone for the visting batters? 

[woodiemiller]

​He's not trolling ...he always asks questions like this to make us all think.  Everytime he does, people get pissed, and I don't understand it.  He's just striking (no pun) up some conversation ... think-outside-the-box type stuff ....that's all.

 

To answer Woodie's question ...........  NO ........... keep it where it is .....

​Thank you Thunderheads.....you are spot on! Great call!

[SanDiegoSteve]

Home team is up 9-0 in the bottom of the 5th. Should an umpire "squeeze" the visiting teams pitcher a little (border line strikes are now balls) in order to get the potential mercy rule 10th run on base to close out the game? Save 2 innings worth of pitching for everyone? Is that even ethical?

​It is extremely unethical to try to manipulate a strike zone in order to try to finish early. It can stay 9-0, or visitors can catch up. Why in the world would any umpire try to cheat a team out of a potential comeback like that? If working a full 7 innings is too much of a strain for an umpire, he should quit baseball and only work JV Tiddlywinks.

Edited May 3, 2015 by SanDiegoSteve

[woodiemiller]

​It is extremely unethical to try to manipulate a strike zone in order to try to finish early. It can stay 9-0, or visitors can catch up. Why in the world would any umpire try to cheat a team out of a potential comeback like that? If working a full 7 innings is too much of a strain for an umpire, he should quit baseball and only work JV Tiddlywinks.

​How do you know that the losing team doesnt want the game over quicker too? How many BIG comebacks have you seen when a team is down 9-0 with 2 innings left? Now compare that to how many games have you had where a team is winning BIG? I'm sure that is a very small & miniscule percentage of teams that have come back to win.

Biggest comeback Ive been on the field for was a college post season game where the visiting team was down 9-0 with nobody on, 2 outs & 2 strikes on the batter. They scored 11 runs after that & won 11-9. Heck, even the coach who was losing 9-0 wanted me to dump him as he didnt wanna be there for the entire game. It can happen but the chances of it happening are slimmer than slim.

[Jocko]

Had this yesterday and I was shocked at the poor game management by the HTHC. Time is getting VERY short.  HT ahead 4-3 in the bottom. VT hustles out, takes 2 warmup pitches and are ready to go. HT gets a leadoff walk. Then a 6-4-3. 2 down. Clock is under a minute. F1 delivers, B3 fouls one OOP. I have already requested baseballs from BOTH teams and have zero in my bag. I announce AGAIN that I need baseballs and brush the plate. VT SPRINTS balls to me. PLAY! Next pitch......B3 flies out. FREE BASEBALL. 24 minutes later, VT wins 7-4. Should I have changed my zone and preserved the win for the HT? Should I have brushed the plate a few more times to kill the clock? Had a sneezing fit? Found a way to burn about 45 seconds? Nope. I'm there to do a job and do it right. Which I did. Not my job to manage the game for the teams. 

[Stan W.]

Home team is up 9-0 in the bottom of the 5th. Should an umpire "squeeze" the visiting teams pitcher a little (border line strikes are now balls) in order to get the potential mercy rule 10th run on base to close out the game? Save 2 innings worth of pitching for everyone? Is that even ethical?

​when you have to ask if a decision is ethical...its most often not......I understand the temptation and we may get a laugh out of it in our post game,  "man we were 1 run away"..... BUT

All an umpire has is his reputation as fair and unbiased......I would not do this.....

[ricka56]

​How do you know that the losing team doesnt want the game over quicker too? If this was so, the losing team has the most power to effect that outcome...why put it on the impartial arbiter. How many BIG comebacks have you seen when a team is down 9-0 with 2 innings left? Now compare that to how many games have you had where a team is winning BIG? I'm sure that is a very small & miniscule percentage of teams that have come back to win. So maybe it is a miniscule chance, but isn't worth suffering through the large majority blow-out outcomes to have one game when the following happens...

Biggest comeback Ive been on the field for was a college post season game where the visiting team was down 9-0 with nobody on, 2 outs & 2 strikes on the batter. They scored 11 runs after that & won 11-9. Heck, even the coach who was losing 9-0 wanted me to dump him as he didnt wanna be there for the entire game. It can happen but the chances of it happening are slimmer than slim.

​When the miraculous happens, it is a sight to behold. If the miracle was prevented from happening because an official took it upon himself to end the game early, that would be a shame.

 

​

[ZebraStripes]

​How do you know that the losing team doesnt want the game over quicker too? How many BIG comebacks have you seen when a team is down 9-0 with 2 innings left? Now compare that to how many games have you had where a team is winning BIG? I'm sure that is a very small & miniscule percentage of teams that have come back to win.

Biggest comeback Ive been on the field for was a college post season game where the visiting team was down 9-0 with nobody on, 2 outs & 2 strikes on the batter. They scored 11 runs after that & won 11-9. Heck, even the coach who was losing 9-0 wanted me to dump him as he didnt wanna be there for the entire game. It can happen but the chances of it happening are slimmer than slim.

​if they are playing the Atlanta Braves....too often  

[Jocko]

​if they are playing the Atlanta Braves....too often  

​If they're playing the Braves and you're on the stick....wake up. You're dreaming.

 

[ZebraStripes]

​If they're playing the Braves and you're on the stick....wake up. You're dreaming.

 

​just the ramblings of a Braves fan who has seen big leads squandered of late.. Up 9-1 in the 2nd and lose 13-12

[Tksjewelry]

I had this situation last year at a TC national tournament 13u (maybe it was 12u, dont remember now). Team from inner city Chicago is the home team. Down 0-15 bottom of the 3rd, 2 outs (run rule is 15 after 3). Game ended 31-15. 

Just yesterday, we had a game to determine who went into a championship game. Visiting team is up by eight going into the bottom of the 6th and their teams best pitcher is on the mound. We ended the game after 3 extra innings with the home team winning by one. 

​I hear guys all the time that say "outs get you home" and I get what most of them mean by it but some take it too far and create outs. Let the players/coaches actions/abilities determine the outcome of the game. No way am I changing my zone so I can grab a beer at Brewskies earlier. The beer will be just as cold if I get there 30 minutes later. 

[basejester]

​How do you know that the losing team doesnt want the game over quicker too?

​I don't think that matters.  Suppose you have a tournament that will stress the pitching of all the teams.  Two teams in the first round would both like to decide the game very quickly.  In fact, they would like a coin flip to decide the game and save all their pitching for later rounds.  They are colluding against the other teams in the tournament.  Do you allow it?  Is it ethical?

 

Edited May 4, 2015 by basejester

[SNIPERBBB]

If I were the TD...I would tell the teams, "Great idea...but its not going to fly today. Now get out there and play some baseball or go home." You have to protect the field.