Replacing the Catcher?

[moblue]

I had a game on Monday night where I was seriously considering having the DC get me a new catcher. Under normal circumstances passed balls aren't a big deal to me. This field was slightly different though. It was set in a hillside with terraced concrete for setting up lawn-chairs on. Then at the last row, there was about an 8 to 10 foot drop-off down onto the field. The chainlink fencing was right up against the concrete, which was maybe 30 feet behind home plate. It was not uncommon for passed balls to end up ricocheting back into fair territory. It was a DH, and in the second game the catcher literally was being so lazy that he would not move his glove to catch the ball coming in a few inches past his elbow. I was worried that at some point I was going to get hit with a ball where I had no padding. It got me to thinking If I get hit, I'm telling the coach I need a new catcher.

I was wondering if there were any solid grounds for this other than OBR 9.01( and/or ©. I say 9.01( because an "umpire has authority to order a player, coach, manager, or club officer or employee to do or refrain from doing anything which affects the administering of these rules...." If I am more worried about a catcher not caring enough to put forth the effort to catch the ball, and possibly letting me get hit in an unpadded area, it definitly affects my ability to call the game.

[Stan W.]

I am assuming that this is low level youth ball.....but there is no rule that would allow us to replace a player for lack of ability....

trying to stretch a 9.01 rule to cover this is, for lack of a better word,.....a real stretch....

best bet is to go to the coach in between innings and say I cant call strikes if the catcher wont even try to catch them..........if he takes the hint great....if not hunker down in your gear and make the best of it.....thast why we wear it....

Edited May 13, 2009 by Stan W.

[Umpire in Chief]

Unfortunately there is no rule out there that can compel the coach to replace his catcher. We've all been there and it sucks. 9.01(b)or © have no authority here.

Maybe just tell the coach quietly,Hey I'd like to be getting some of those pitches, but when the catcher isn't getting a glove on them there's not much I can do.

Reminds me of a story a veteran umpire friend told me. Big game I believe he said it was NC State vs Wake Forest many, many moons ago. My friend was behind the plate. Bases loaded with a full count. My friend got hit in the hand (and actually broke his hand) by an uncaught pitch. My friend made no call on the pitch as he was hurt, but the batter trotted to first. DC comes out and asks, "Was that a ball?"

My friend replies, "G D right it was a ball!"

DC, "Man that looked like a good pitch to me."

"Then you tell me how the F:censored: did I get hit with a strike!"

The coach just turned around and walked away.

My friend said it was straight down the pipe, dead, solid, perfect, strike.

[Mr Umpire]

As a safety issue, I seem to recall an MLB Crew Chief requesting a different catcher to be put in for protection of the PU. It was the team's 3rd string catcher and he could not handle the pitcher. I'm not sure what rule he used except possibly 9.01©. The manager complied and put another catcher in.

I don't know for sure since this is second hand info and I cannot find anything about it so far. But, if you do use anything, I believe 9.01© is the only thing and I would not use it. Just let the coach know he won't be getting any borderlines if the catcher doesn't do his job or get removed.

[mstaylor]

I bel;ieve the story you are talking about involved Bruce Fromming and a catcher that was actually a fielder. The coach for whatever reason put a guy in that hadn't caught since HS. I don't know the story to be true but that is my memory.

[moblue]

best bet is to go to the coach in between innings and say I cant call strikes if the catcher wont even try to catch them..........if he takes the hint great....if not hunker down in your gear and make the best of it.....thast why we wear it....

This was a 13 yr. old team. But this isn't about being hit from the front. This is about balls rebounding and hitting me where I'm not protected: in the back. If the backstop was further or had some material to deaden the ball, this wouldn't even be an issue. My only option to protect myself would have been to wear another chest protector (turned around backwards of course). Since I had no extra gear and I hadn't been hit yet, I started to spin as the ball passed me so I could at least try to stay out of the way.

[MCLEOD36]

There has been a time or two when I have told a coach, that if I cant see the ball (ie catcher bouncing around) that I wont call it a strike, they got the hint. In a couple of games, I have told the second catcher, you are doing a nicer job then the first and in both they said, well our coach wanted to give a rookie a shot at it. A final case of a catcher, not even trying for catches and I was getting nipped, I walked around dusted plate and went what the heck? He goes, I didnt know I needed to catch balls that werent strikes. The next inning, he tried to tell me a dropped bat was interference, cause it was in front of the plate and messed up a throw from the outfield. I guess some get it, some dont..

[blindumpire99]

There has been a time or two when I have told a coach, that if I cant see the ball (ie catcher bouncing around) that I wont call it a strike, they got the hint...

Hmmmm..I like that approach..I think it would really work great when you have a catcher who suddenly decides he needs to take the pitch standing up, especially inside.. Using the GD stance does have that disadvantage..

[nolanadair]

Under no rule in the Little League rule book can we order a coahc or manager to remove a player from the game for lack of ability. Now, if it was affecting the way you call the game then you could simply go over to the manager and tell him that by his catcher lazily going after the ball, it is affecting the way you as the umpire call the game. This will probably get the coach thinking more about the catcher. You can not, as an umpire, tell the manager to remove a player.

[mstaylor]

Nolan, I agree but I have seen it done.

[frenchblue]

Nolan, I agree but I have seen it done.

That's crazy...wow