Vent - Tournament umpiring

[ArchAngel72]

AAU around here does allow one guy on deck.

 

LL does not, they allow the 1st batter of the inning out and that is it.   Its funny though when you look at Regionals and WS stuff I swear you see an on deck batter there, maybe not.

 

But anyway its about safety and that is it.   I have seen kids lose teeth due to on deck batters not paying attention as well as the kid running out to grab the bat.   I do not need to see anymore chicklets happening.   Also I have seen coaches get clocked a time or 3 cause someone crossed over to their side and no one was paying attention ( Coach or batter) 

 

So yeah stay on your side until your at bat.. 

[The Man in Blue]

6 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

straw man much?  Stay on point.  I don't care about your other what if scenarios...they're irrelevant to this point, and I made no such statement to the arguments you have decided to fabricate.  You will, however, always find me consistent on youth safety.

 

I think @BLWizzRanger had a valid point bringing that up.  I know I am painting with a broad brush, but the coach that is yelling about wanting to send the kid to the other side "for safety" is generally the same coach who is telling them all to grab bats and get out there.  He's also usually the same coach that sends a kid out in a batting helmet to warm up the pitcher.

[Thatsnotyou]

Telling an 11 year old to swing outside the fences at a classic park district field - right next to fans, while possibly standing on blacktop - is absurd. 
 

Just move them to the other side and move on. Yes, I usually have to tell a hitter to “stay on your side” until the inning starts a couple times per game, but that’s not hard to do when I’m standing on the foul line and see them coming. 
 

We get it - by rule, it’s wrong. Who cares, especially when it’s for safety. In an 11 year old game with tight fences, I’m not there to show everyone how well I know the rule book by enforcing the on deck circle. Just like I’m not there to call a balk on said 11 year old when he does something only I noticed, and there was no advantage gained or affect on the play. 
 

Umpire the level in front of you, in all ways. 

 

[beerguy55]

13 hours ago, The Man in Blue said:

 

I think @BLWizzRanger had a valid point bringing that up.  I know I am painting with a broad brush, but the coach that is yelling about wanting to send the kid to the other side "for safety" is generally the same coach who is telling them all to grab bats and get out there.  He's also usually the same coach that sends a kid out in a batting helmet to warm up the pitcher.

I don't disagree, and in that situation throw it in his face.  It's a straw man argument because the fact that coaches are hypocrites doesn't change the underlying argument - it's significantly safer to tuck the ODB (especially the younger ones) behind the batter at the plate...and there's no reason to deny it.  Sure, at the older levels you can start talking about gamesmanship with the ODB blocking the coach or listening in on stuff, but even there my default position is the coach/umpire making that argument is looking for monsters under the bed.  

I coached club ball up to 19 years old...the most competitive level in the country, including international tournaments and three gold medal games in the national championships...that gamesmanship just wasn't an issue, even at those uber competitive levels between teams that hated each other.  It just made sense to (almost) everyone for the ODB to be there.

[The Man in Blue]

My concern isn't the gamesmanship ... it is two things, and they may be minor ...

1.) They (players and coaches) need to learn that isn't the rule.  Yes, I agree on some fields it makes sense and agree that we should do this.  This is where ground rules for a particular field come into play.  However, when the field is fine, they need to learn that the book rule is to stay on your own side.  When we let them cross over it is the exception, not the rule.  If it is for safety, OK.  If it is a point for a coach just to flex, no.

2.) The players that decide they are going to run across during a pitch.  Admittedly, I don't see too much of this anymore.  Players have gotten much better about waiting and paying attention.