First Time for Everything

[ElkOil]

Men's League game tonight.  Bottom 8 -- there will be no 9th due to time limit.  Home team is up and down by one run.  R2 and R3 with two out and the eighth batter in the line up at the plate.  The home team is only playing with eight players, so the 9 hole is an automatic out.  I'm PU.

The catcher asks me, "Can we intentionally walk the batter?"  Ah, very crafty.

"Sure," I said.

"Do we have to actually pitch the ball?"

"Yes."

First pitch, intentional ball.

Second pitch wasn't that far outside and the batter reaches across the plate with the bat in one hand and while is foot is still in the air, makes contact.  Ground ball to F4 who smothers the ball and throws him out for the second out.  Game over.

[UmpJeff]

Smart F2...smart B...

At least the batter went down fighting!!

[sdix00]

The automatic out for the 9th player.  Tough one. 

 

One league I work was smart and codified that the automatic can't be a third out, so it carries to the first out of the next inning.    I like that. 

I hate it when teams try to manipulate and take advantage of the poorly thought out, but well intentioned time limits, automatic outs, balk warnings, and other nonsense.    As umpires we know what the intent of the rule is and when they bastardize it, our hands are tied and we can't make it right.   I suppose we can make it fair if we really wanted to , but it's just not worth the headache. 

Edited June 11, 2015 by sdix00

[Larry in TN]

Where does this rule (automatic out) come from?  Is it always a local rule or is it in any of the rulesets?

 

 

[noumpere]

It's a FED rule, for one.

[MooseLoop]

OBR 7.03(b) [old 4.17] and LL 4.17 (I think!) says you cannot play with only eight players. Local rules or practice may vary.

USSSA 7.02.F allows 8 players with an automatic out. The FED rule is 4-4-1f.

[ElkOil]

It's a FED rule, for one.

​Yup.  And this men's league also has such a provision.

[Cav]

I vaguely remember there was once a tie-breaker rule wherein, if a game were tied at the end of eight and a half innings, the umpire would walk the first four batters in the bottom half.  It was a long time ago and perhaps I'm thinking of Calvin-ball.