After a homerun????

[Quickstrike33]

hey guys, just wanted to know how most of you handle getting a new baseball back to the pitcher after a homerun is hit...do you toss a new one back to the pitcher or catcher while the batter is still rounding the bases, or wait until the batter touches the plate....i had a situation the other night when i tossed one to the catcher while the batter was in his trot. the catcher threw the ball "around the horn" as after a strike out...my problem with this is it happened as the batter was rounding third base...i guess in my mind after taking a quick glance as it caught me off-guard, it crossed my mind some people may think the catcher was throwing, not at but towards the hitter.....what do most of you do, as i have seen many different ways at each level of baseball.....:bang:

[Mr Umpire]

I know the proper mechanic is to let the batter touch HP before giving a new ball to prevent anything bad from happening such as throwing the ball at him for some reason. I usually go ahead and give a new ball to keep the game moving. If I had something like that happen to me, I might stop doing that to prevent it from happening again.

It depends on the level of ball for me. 12 and under, I'm going to give a new ball with no hesitation. HS level and up, I would wait because you don't know what the catcher or pitcher thinks of how the batter is rounding the bases or if he stood there too long admiring the hit.

[LMSANS]

I usually wait until the batter-runner has passed third.

[mstaylor]

I'm like Larry, I usually give it to the pitcher after third. I have never seen an infield throw the ball around after a HR. A throw around is usually a celebration, not after getting a run scored on you.

I was working a varsity game yesterday, R3 scores but they get the out on the BR. F4 called for a throw around but F3 said no. He didn't think it was right since they got scored on.

[blindumpire99]

I always wait until the BR has touched the plate.

[Astrosdawg07]

This is a great question, our chapter teaches to meet the pitcher halfway with ball while the R is rounding the bases.

[Umpire in Chief]

I usually hand one to the pitcher as he's rounding the bases. Heck I'm probably somewhere around the mound any way to track the ball.

[mstaylor]

I go halfway up the third base line and watch the runner or runners touch third and home. The BU watches the first and second touches. After the BR touches third I flip the ball to the pitcher and return to the plate to watch the touch and make sure there is no taunting going on.

[okump96]

i've been taught to hand one to the catcher and tell him to walk it out to the pitcher. this gets him away from the plate and stops stuff from happening. i've also been taught to not let the offense on the dirt. i have had problems in the past by not doing either of these.

[mstaylor]

i've been taught to hand one to the catcher and tell him to walk it out to the pitcher. this gets him away from the plate and stops stuff from happening. i've also been taught to not let the offense on the dirt. i have had problems in the past by not doing either of these.

I can see what you are saying but many times the PU goes out in the infield to watch the HR. The catcher jumps up and goes to the mound to settle the pitcher. At that point all three of us are near the mound. Now if the PU doesn't have ball coverage then certainly the handing the ball off to the catcher works. A lot depends on runners, where the ball is hit and intangible game conditions.

[Celerion]

I usually hand/lightly toss the new baseball to the pitcher, or just wait till the runner reaches home plate. Generally the fans are so wrapped up with the HR that they won't notice the difference, but I would give the ball to the pitcher rather then the catcher.

I wouldn't give it to the catcher, because he "doesn't really need it". He would just give it to the pitcher, so just give the new ball to the pitcher your self. That way nothing crazy happens.

Edited March 30, 2009 by Irish Umpire