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Runner kicks ball away from fielder


Guest JAson
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Question

1 out runners on 1st and 2nd.  Ball hit into play, play at the plate.  

Runner is tagged/called out at home, but in the transfer process the ball is dropped by the catcher.  In anger the runner kicks the ball away from the catcher.  What is the rule?

OR

Runner slides into home and knocks ball loose on the tag.  Called safe, but in the slide kicks the ball away which allows the trailing runner to score as well.  Is this a dead ball?

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11 hours ago, Guest JAson said:

Runner is tagged/called out at home, but in the transfer process the ball is dropped by the catcher.  In anger the runner kicks the ball away from the catcher.  What is the rule?

Interference by a retired/scored runner. The ball is dead, the run counts (had he been ruled safe), and the runner who would have been played on is out.

11 hours ago, Guest JAson said:

Runner slides into home and knocks ball loose on the tag.  Called safe, but in the slide kicks the ball away which allows the trailing runner to score as well.  Is this a dead ball?

No. Interference with a thrown ball must be intentional. Play the bounce.

Same rulings, all codes.

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15 hours ago, Guest JAson said:

Runner is tagged/called out at home...In anger the runner kicks the ball away from the catcher

15 hours ago, maven said:

Interference by a retired/scored runner. The ball is dead...and the runner who would have been played on is out.

Is there cause/support to eject too?

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1 hour ago, beerguy55 said:

Is there cause/support to eject too?

BG55, please understand who is asking this, and also understand that I’m not asking specifically _you_, but asking a broad swath of umpires & coaches – baseball participants – alike who seem to ask the same question you just did: 

Why so quick to eject? 

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4 minutes ago, MadMax said:

BG55, please understand who is asking this, and also understand that I’m not asking specifically _you_, but asking a broad swath of umpires & coaches – baseball participants – alike who seem to ask the same question you just did: 

Why so quick to eject? 

Not sure if I'd be quick to eject...I'm asking a question, because I don't know what I'd do.

And, if not eject, warn?

What I do know is it's not a behavior I want to encourage...and may not want to let it slide.  Maybe calling his teammate out is enough punishment, maybe not.   At best, it's unsportsmanlike...at worst, it's a bellwether for things to come. 

As a coach, he's getting splinters in his ass for the rest of the game after that...maybe another.  Not allowed to make my players run until they puke anymore, so I'd have to think of something else.  My hope is an ump would let me deal with it (especially where ejections come with mandatory suspensions)...but at the same time I get that the ump has very little reason to trust that, based on what he'll see out of most coaches.   Where I had long-term relationships with the ump, I could either say "I got this"...or ump could just say my name to let me know the player's on thin ice.

 

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21 hours ago, Guest JAson said:

In anger the runner kicks the ball away from the catcher. 

 

3 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

Where I had long-term relationships with the ump, I could either say "I got this"...or ump could just say my name to let me know the player's on thin ice.

I appreciate these interactions so much. Hate that the situation happens of course but love being on the same wavelength.

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From the 2021 Minor League Baseball Umpire Manual (p. 145) (from a list of 10 general principles):

Standards for Removal from the Game

The following general principles should be considered when deciding whether to eject a player, coach, manager or other person from the game…

Any player, coach or manager throwing equipment in protest of an umpire’s call will be reported on an incident report. The umpire will notify the offender that he is being reported for an equipment violation. Umpires are encouraged to utilize equipment violation as an intermediary step to warn and discipline a player while attempting to keep the player in the game. However, if the throwing of equipment is flagrant, the umpire shall eject the person from the game.

In addition, any player, coach or manager throwing equipment in a flagrant or unsportsmanlike manner and NOT in protest of an umpire’s call will be reported and may be subject to ejection.

So, Mr. beerguy55, as umpires we are to watch for equipment being thrown but apparently it is OK to kick the ball.

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7 hours ago, Matt said:

Assuming the runner is mad that they didn't score (and not at the umpire or catcher,) I'm going to disagree that this is unsportsmanlike. It's no different than breaking a bat over a knee. Stupid, out of control, yes, but nothing I think I need to deal with other than enforcing the requisite penalty.

I don't disagree...the only difference I see is this little temper tantrum interrupts/impacts the game itself.   Like you said, the out penalty is likely enough, and like I said, as a coach I'd rather the umpire let me deal with it.

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On 9/24/2021 at 6:59 AM, beerguy55 said:

... and like I said, as a coach I'd rather the umpire let me deal with it.

As an umpire, I'd rather you did deal with it, however you choose to (other than to celebrate it). I bristle at partners who project their own "moral and ethical code" upon a game, and I especially get annoyed at evaluators / upper-level-umpires who decree "you (as an umpire) have to get that, you have to address that, you have to warn/restrict/eject for that!" 

I once was doing a varsity High School game between two Catholic schools (shame, I'm Non-Denom Christian... or maybe that's more advantageous?) and after striking out, the batter drops a big "F*#k me!" as he heads towards the dugout. It wasn't directed at yours truly, but it sure was loud enough for the fans to hear, among them the very nice nun sitting in "summer uniform" in the stands between the plate and the dugout. I didn't bother to try and chase the kid down, or yell at him with his back turned, or warn him, or eject him... I simply locked eyes with his bench coach, pointed at the retired batter, and said, "He can't be doin' that." Bench coach replies, "I got it!" 

Guess who was removed from the ball game by his own coach? 

 

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