Had Umpire Interference for the First Time

[Nafxos]

Got to see umpire interference live for the first time yesterday. JV game. R2 and R3. I'm PU. Partner is in C. Batter lines one towards LF that clips my partner in the heel. We killed it immediately, put BR on 1st and sent R3 and R2 back.

Offensive HC was annoyed that he lost a run (or possibly two), but he accepted our explanation and ruling pretty quickly.

[Blueump]

One time, and only one time ever, I was hit square in the chest while in "C".  Ouch!

[ZebraStripes]

The closest I have come to being hit was a coach pitch game before I had any training on it and had an "umpire down" to avoid it.

[Nafxos]

My first time ever working on a 90-foot diamond was a preseason varsity scrimmage that I really wasn't ready for in terms of the speed of the game.  I had studied all of the mechanics manuals but to that point I had only ever worked solo behind the plate on a 60-foot diamond, and I really didn't know what I was doing out on the bases.

I'm in C, ground ball to F6, and I end up positioning myself directly in the line of his throw to F3.  I didn't get hit, but I did have to hit the deck hard and fast.  Haven't made that mistake again.

[kylehutson]

I was in C a couple of weeks ago for a college club-level game. Guy hits a hard liner toward me. I had that split second to see that it was going toward my left, so I started to the right. It hooked. Hit me in the forehead and knocked me flat on my @$$. I was really fortunate I had no damage besides a bump and a bruise.

If you ever have a chance to do this, don't. Trust me, it's overrated.

[Mick]

I don't know, Kyle.  I heard that ever since that happened, you've had problems controlling you tongue muscles.  

[ZebraStripes]

I was in C a couple of weeks ago for a college club-level game. Guy hits a hard liner toward me. I had that split second to see that it was going toward my left, so I started to the right. It hooked. Hit me in the forehead and knocked me flat on my @$$. I was really fortunate I had no damage besides a bump and a bruise.

If you ever have a chance to do this, don't. Trust me, it's overrated.

​don't allow it to knock some sense into you....use your sense before hand?

[kylehutson]

​don't allow it to knock some sense into you....use your sense before hand?

​Exactly.

I've been told before to use my head for something besides a hat rack. I don't think they meant "bowling pin" though.

[maineump]

The thing about being hit or having a 'near miss' - you always learn from it and it doesn't happen again (hopefully)

[rpumpire]

In 42 years of umpiring, I have been the "victim" of umpire interference twice -- and both of them happened in the same week.

[jkumpire]

It's happened to me twice, the last time in a Babe Ruth Regional tournament two years ago. 3 man crew, as U3, R1, 4 hole up. It was a supposed 13-15 division I think, but everybody is 15, and they were allowed to use BESR bats. Kid hits an absolute rocket back up the middle and my plate partner told me later  he thought "there's no way he's getting away from it" and he was right. The thing was hip high, hooked right into my body and caught me on the the inside of my leg. I had a bruise from knee cap to waist three days later. Hardest shot I've ever seen with a BESR bat, even when they were legal in NCAA.

And no, I didn't rub it either.

 

[afaber12]

Thankfully I've only had to call UI on myself once, but technically it wasn't me that was hit.

Working solo from behind the mound - yes, I know - standing shallower and straighter than you would in a normal C position with a rightie pitching. Come-backer up the middle that I almost got out of the way of, except the ball bag on my right hip had enough inertia because of the spare baseball in there to stay where it was and got hit.

Went close one other time in a 2-man with R1 & R2, liner at my head in C. Hit the deck and turned to pick up the ball about 3 milliseconds after the ball went in F6's glove. PU helped me out and called the catch - I was fairly certain it was caught but glad PU took the call - I called R2 out when F6 stepped on the bag to finish the inning with the double play. Wound up having to explain to a couple of people that we'd called two different outs rather than the same out twice.

[jpperez14]

I had varsity fall game last year, bases loaded, no outs, I had the plate, and my partner was in "his" 'C'... well sort of. he was probably on the right hip of the pitcher maybe 1 foot away from the dirt.. anyways, ball hit hits off of him goes directly to the shortstop and they turned a double play. as soon as it hit my partner, I come out calling "time" umpire's interference, everyone advances one base, no outs recorded. Defensive Coach comes to me and says that he doesn't believe that's the right call because had my partner not been there they still would of turned a double play. I explained to him that it doesn't matter once it hit my partner, it was done. He didn't think it was right, went on his way. called the Varsity coach, asked him. after the game, the varsity coach was coming inside while we were going out to change and asked me about it. explained it to him, didn't completely agree, but didn't really disagree either. he said his team was called for verbal interference last year, which he didn't know was a rule either.

 

[kylehutson]

I had varsity fall game last year, bases loaded, no outs, I had the plate, and my partner was in "his" 'C'... well sort of. he was probably on the right hip of the pitcher maybe 1 foot away from the dirt.. anyways, ball hit hits off of him goes directly to the shortstop and they turned a double play. as soon as it hit my partner, I come out calling "time" umpire's interference, everyone advances one base, no outs recorded. Defensive Coach comes to me and says that he doesn't believe that's the right call because had my partner not been there they still would of turned a double play. I explained to him that it doesn't matter once it hit my partner, it was done. He didn't think it was right, went on his way. called the Varsity coach, asked him. after the game, the varsity coach was coming inside while we were going out to change and asked me about it. explained it to him, didn't completely agree, but didn't really disagree either. he said his team was called for verbal interference last year, which he didn't know was a rule either.

 

​A coach didn't know a rule??? Say it ain't so!