Curious possible grounds for protest?

[ArchAngel72]

10U game Dist finals Losers bracket side Win or go home winner moves onto the Dist finals next morning at 10am.  545pm game, slobber knocker of a game VT goes up 7-1 in the 1st HT claws its way back by the 4th 7-7 both teams explode VT going back up 14 -12 HT ties it in the 6th  However after 6 its really too dark to proceed  next door field has lights and game there is done.  Me being UIC of game ( 3 man crew)  ask the TD if they want to move the game there and finish it under lights. Both teams and TD agree transplant the game to that field to resume at 7th inning,. Which we did and it went 9.  No team scored in 7 or in 8, In 9 VT scored 1 then HT loaded the bases and got a walk off single that scored 2 that won the game. 

 

So curious could a team protest that?  I suspect not, not unless they did not agree to keep playing. And wished to come back in the morning and finish.

 

[JonnyCat]

IMO, it's not grounds for a protest.

It would be no different then starting a game while the sun was out on a field with lights, and turned them on when it got dark.

[noumpere]

Even if the team didn't agree, it's not grounds for protest.

 

It's up to the TD to determine how to complete a suspended game.  9:00 the same evening on Field 2 or 8:00 the following morning on Field 1 makes no difference.

[Lou B]

Once they agree the Protest is lost.

If they don't approve the TD would call the Region/Williamsport and I can pretty much guarantee they would say move the game and keep playing.

[834k3r]

On 7/25/2022 at 6:23 AM, ArchAngel72 said:

10U game Dist finals Losers bracket side Win or go home winner moves onto the Dist finals next morning at 10am.  545pm game, slobber knocker of a game VT goes up 7-1 in the 1st HT claws its way back by the 4th 7-7 both teams explode VT going back up 14 -12 HT ties it in the 6th  However after 6 its really too dark to proceed  next door field has lights and game there is done.  Me being UIC of game ( 3 man crew)  ask the TD if they want to move the game there and finish it under lights. Both teams and TD agree transplant the game to that field to resume at 7th inning,. Which we did and it went 9.  No team scored in 7 or in 8, In 9 VT scored 1 then HT loaded the bases and got a walk off single that scored 2 that won the game. 

 

So curious could a team protest that?  I suspect not, not unless they did not agree to keep playing. And wished to come back in the morning and finish.

 

I would say as long as the game situation was transferred 100% correctly (which doing at the end of an inning would be the case), I don't see why they would/could.

[SeeingEyeDog]

From the Nobody Asked Me file...

OP, if you have a GOOD working, professional relationship with the TD? I would encourage you to encourage them to develop a formalized darkness plan for tournament play. I wouldn't dare to suggest what the details of that look like. But by having a formalized darkness plan already in place and hopefully publicized and shared with all coaches and parents prior to the start of the next tournament? You have that policy in place and then the umpire crews (or the TD or other person as designated in the policy...) can simply refer to that policy and execute it. Much like an inclement weather policy, for instance.

If you do NOT have a GOOD working, professional relationship with the TD? Continue past GO and collect your proverbial $200...

Good management, to include youth sports, requires preparedness for the anticipated and the unanticipated. Not really an umpire's role in the game of baseball but, sometimes the game helps itself along...and sometimes it needs help, even if from unconventional sources.

~Dawg 

[The Man in Blue]

^^^THAT THAT THAT!

It drives me nuts when I ask "What is your weather plan?" (e.g., how long before you announce a resume or suspend, how long do you expect me to wait and what are you doing for me in that time, where do we go, who makes the final call) and the answer is "Uh ... play ball?"

[Catch18]

If you’ve ever had a coach complain and lodge a protest about moving to an adjacent field and flipping the lights, punch him in his gizzard.

Let’s make this coach say it out loud for everyone to hear and have him (try to) realize how stupid he sounds: “I will not move my team to this perfectly playable field with great functioning light and let kids continue to do kid things.”

F off.

[Rich Ives]

On 7/26/2022 at 11:22 PM, The Man in Blue said:

^^^THAT THAT THAT!

It drives me nuts when I ask "What is your weather plan?" (e.g., how long before you announce a resume or suspend, how long do you expect me to wait and what are you doing for me in that time, where do we go, who makes the final call) and the answer is "Uh ... play ball?"

You aren't paid by the hour, you're paid by the game. The TD runs the show - by rule.

[The Man in Blue]

14 hours ago, Rich Ives said:

You aren't paid by the hour, you're paid by the game. The TD runs the show - by rule.

I'm hoping that should have been in blue.  😁  (Have we had the rain delay conversation before on here?  It seems to me we have.)

True to the first part.  But that doesn't mean my time is worthless.  There has to be reason within that agreement.  I have no problem deferring to the plan.  There is a plan, right?

I agree that the TD should run the show off the field, but when they don't, somebody has to.  Looks like me at that point.

Working a scattered-site tournament for an org that, according to their website, sets itself apart for their logistics and operations.  Forecast was calling for severe pop-up storms in the afternoon.  My partner and I arrive early (there were two games before our four) as we had never been to this field before.  We meet the "site director" (the lady collecting admission up front) and ask her about the weather contingencies.  She didn't know about the forecast for storms.  She didn't know if there was grounds crew or who would have to determine what happens if/when we can't play.

My partner and I take charge.  Fortunately the weather never occurred in our area, but we had our area designated (hitting shed), found the grounds crew so we knew who to confer with, and determined we would make the postponement call with the grounds crew (since they knew the field).  It's not hard to have a plan.