TIME! NO PITCH! (batter is not set...)

[SeeingEyeDog]

18U travel, summer ball, non-tournament, non-showcase, Fed rules and I am on the plate...

Batter steps into the box with his head down, both hands on the bat, doing the low and slow golf waggle swing...pitcher starts his windup and I call time out of safety concerns. As we reset, I said to F2 quietly, "Please don't give your signs until the batter is ready..." and he acknowledged. Neither manager (who are both varsity managers) said anything and we continued without further incident.

At the end of the inning I grabbed each manager separately and quickly explained why I called time...again, my concern was safety for the batter. Neither manager had anything further on this.

1) How were my mechanics and game management here?

2) If this happens in a scholastic game or tournament or other higher-leverage situation again under Fed rules should I be doing anything differently here?

~Dawg

[SH0102]

All good except no need to go to managers unless asked.  If no one asked, no one complained, there’s no need to go to them.  Almost comes across like you need/want to justify yourself.

You did the right thing, no one balked at it (no pun intended), just move on.

[The Man in Blue]

Just keep in mind the batter has a limit as to how long he can horse around also … other than that, all good to me!

[kylehutson]

I had a near-identical situation last weekend. DHC yells at me that I can't call time unless the batter requests it. 

But as the others have said, just do it and don't explain. The reasonable coaches will know what's going on and just take it in stride.

[LRZ]

16 minutes ago, kylehutson said:

DHC yells at me that I can't call time unless the batter requests it.

Mindful of the recent thread about pitching from the set without a discernible stop, I'll ask: from the wind-up, wouldn't this be a quick-return/illegal pitch, with the penalty a called ball? I do not work FED.

[kylehutson]

5 minutes ago, LRZ said:

Mindful of the recent thread about pitching from the set without a discernible stop, I'll ask: from the wind-up, wouldn't this be a quick-return/illegal pitch, with the penalty a called ball? I do not work FED.

Yep. When I told him that was his alternative, he backed off pretty quickly.

[noumpere]

15 minutes ago, LRZ said:

Mindful of the recent thread about pitching from the set without a discernible stop, I'll ask: from the wind-up, wouldn't this be a quick-return/illegal pitch, with the penalty a called ball? I do not work FED.

Yes, but the accepted / expected practice is to stop it if you can.

[aaluck]

46 minutes ago, kylehutson said:

DHC yells at me that I can't call time unless the batter requests it. 

Gotta love when they tell you what you can and can't do, don't you.

[maven]

3 minutes ago, noumpere said:

Yes, but the accepted / expected practice is to stop it if you can.

Absolutely, and for safety.

19 minutes ago, LRZ said:

Mindful of the recent thread about pitching from the set without a discernible stop, I'll ask: from the wind-up, wouldn't this be a quick-return/illegal pitch, with the penalty a called ball? I do not work FED.

"Coach, I'd go ahead and call your pitcher for quick-pitching, but safety requires doing it this way."

[LRZ]

Of course we practice preventive officiating, but that was not my question.

And I don't make FU calls, so I would never reply to a coach, "OK, have it your way. Ball!"

[Thunderheads]

Not sure if this has been said yet, but ... another way is to announce it during your "TIME" call ...

"Hang on-Hang on! - TIME! - (done with your hand or hands up) ... let him get set please"

THEN, there's absolutely ZERO question at all.   It doesn't happen often, but I've used this method and it has worked.  YMMV  

[Recontra]

I reiterate, because I do basically the same thing as Thunderheads suggests:  Hand or hands up, "Time! . . . Step off! . . . Let the batter get set."  Not saying that's gospel mechanics, but it works for me. And invariably, once done, I'll never have an issue with quick pitching from anybody for the rest of the game.

[Mr Ump]

On 7/21/2021 at 6:46 AM, kylehutson said:

I had a near-identical situation last weekend. DHC yells at me that I can't call time unless the batter requests it. 

But as the others have said, just do it and don't explain. The reasonable coaches will know what's going on and just take it in stride.

You sure can call time. Especially in the interest of safety or the flow of the game. Where do these coaches get this stuff from that comes out their mouths. Wow!