Always By The Book?

[testandor]

WARNING! This is a LONG post!

When I first started posting here a couple of months ago, I was responding to a post about the batter making contact with a batted ball while still in the batter's box. The talk had turned to the difference between the batter running into the batted ball, and the ball bouncing back to hit the batter. I made a comment to the effect that in the overwhelming majority of instances where the ball hits the batter, it happens instantly. I also commented on the extreme scarcity of the batted ball going straight down to the ground and just spinning in place - as had been suggested - as the BR kicks it on her way to 1B. I said something to the effect of, because it all happens in an instant, unless it's very obvious to all, any ump who calls that batter out instead of just a dead ball should watch for the mob in the parking lot. I was greeted with a couple of strongly critical posts about how umpires can't worry about the reaction of the teams or crowd, and just call 'em as we see them and then apply the rule. I always call 'em as I see them, and I almost always see the play that I just described as a dead ball, foul ball, let's throw the next pitch.

My point was that while we must follow the rules, we also must have a feel for the game. From time to time I work with an umpire who's very good, and often experienced and well trained in rules, but who seems to have no feel for the game. Whether that be the level of play (rec league or travel), type of game (fall ball scrimmage or summer tournament), high school varsity or 3 inning low level JV. And most importantly, no feel for the attitude and desires of the teams who are playing. That post brought to mind a play that will live in infamy in my mind as the perfect example of what I'm talking about, and what no doubt left its mark on me as an umpire for decades after the game - and even the memory of that game for others - had passed. Here's the story that formed my position on this so many years ago.

Men's modified fast pitch. Championship game of the Philadelphia Employees League. The league has teams from every department, in this case, Streets vs the Guardian Civic League. Basically, trash truck drivers (mostly Hispanic) vs cops. I've got the bases, and a senior ump with great credentials has the plate. Good game, low scoring, tied in the bottom of the last inning. GCL has 2nd and 3rd, I don't remember the outs. After the hit that set the stage with 2nd and 3rd, the pitcher tells PU he wants to put the batter on to load the bases. PU tells him he has to pitch to the batter. The pitcher gets pissed and starts bitching about it in Spanish, and then just sends that pitch in wildly, hitting way high up and off line on the back of the cage, as it goes rattling around for their catcher to go pick up. When he does it a second time, I get this horrible feeling, just hoping he won't roll the ball in to the batter, because if he does, the PU is likely to call it the illegal pitch that it would be. Third pitch is also a high cage rattler, but the 4th pitch isn't a pitch at all. I guess the pitcher got tired of showing his anger over having to pitch to the batter by throwing those wild pitches, so he lightened up and just rolled the ball in. Yup, he rolled the ball in to the batter to prevent the batter from hitting the ball. PU's arms went up, he yelled "illegal pitch" and motioned for the winning run on 3rd to come in and score. All hell broke loose! They were all screaming and (presumably) cursing in Spanish, and so were their fans! It got really bad really fast, and now the cops are stepping in to do what cops do - break up a riot! Grown men on the Streets team were physically holding back enraged players who wanted to get at the PU. I grabbed the big dope behind the plate and got the hell out of there fast. There was no parking lot, as this was in the city. We each went to wherever we were parked on the street and left. I was younger then and certainly less experienced, but the next time I saw this ump, I asked him why he made a call on a rule that no one else knew was a violation. His answer? "Because it's a rule. And just because they don't know the rule doesn't mean that I dont!"

There is a time and place for everything. I know that. And as umpires, we don't get to pick and choose which rules to apply - nor when to apply them. I get that too. But I maintain that there are umpires who have no feel for the game they're umpiring. Some, hopefully very few, are that way because they just don't give a shirt. But there are others - many more, I believe - who have blinders on, and regardless of the game and the teams who are playing, they're ruling by the book, so help them God. So, in the example I gave, it didn't matter that these were 2 teams full of hard working men, both with hard jobs, who had played for a few months to get themselves playing in the championship game. And it didn't matter to him that this tied championship game wasn't decided by a timely hit for the offense, or a walk by the defense, or even an extra inning game. No, it was decided by a rule that NONE of the people knew. That game should have been allowed to play to its conclusion, where one side knew it had won a hard fought battle, and the other knew it had lost a hard fought battle. Not because 1 of the 4 pitches to that batter was rolled in on the ground rather than thrown in 15 feet up in the air. Either way, all 4 pitches were to prevent the batter from hitting the ball, and the only one that could possibly have been hit with the bat was the one that was rolled in. So the PU was proud of himself for knowing and enforcing the rules, while the Streets team left, forever feeling cheated out of their shot at winning the championship. And the Guardian Civic League, while no doubt happy, left without the exhilarating feeling of a walk off hit, or even a walk with the bases loaded.

In retrospect, I wish I had been a more experienced umpire back then. I'm pretty sure that the me of today would have called time after that first pitch, and knowing what I knew about the PU, I would have explained to the pitcher that he'd better keep the pitch in the air and not roll it on the ground.

Thanks for letting me relive that long ago memory.

 

[Comp]

Ok, I stopped reading when you called your partner the big dope. Since when do rules only apply in certain situations?????. Yes, I'm sorry the winning run was on third base, and if the rules don't allow a no pitch walk then the pitcher must throw 4 legal pitches. The rules also say purposely rolling the ball is an illegal pitch. As my nephew likes to say, do stupid things, win stupid prizes. The pitcher got exactly what he deserved, and by doing so lost the game. No, the situation does not dictate what rules should or should not be enforced nor does "a feel for the game" dictate what rules should be enforced. And exactly how do you respond to the offended coach if you don't call the illegal pitch and he knows the rules?????

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[Westwind]

I did enjoy this story!

And I can picture the scene like I was there!

 

[CHSUmp97]

There are certain times where I will ignore a rule for the sake of game management. My colleagues know how I feel about the requirement for the batter to keep one foot in the batter's box between pitches. The rule is meant to stop game delays, but as long as the batter is back in the batter's box well before the pitcher is ready to pitch, I ignore the violation. I only enforce it when the batter is still outside the box with both feet, making the pitcher wait on her. I'm also not anal about not switching softballs when the pitcher has a hard time finding the zone, and she asks for a new ball while the ball she's been pitching is on the field. Yes, the rule says the current ball must be used until it goes out of play or it becomes unplayable. I'll look at the ball she no longer wants, and judge that it does have a nick or some other anomaly, and give her a new ball. In discussions about these scenarios, I'm pummeled by questions of how many other rules I'm going to ignore.

But in your scenario, honestly, the pitcher reaped what he sowed. Why should we ignore a player who has become a jerk and purposely violated a rule? We should just let it happen because nobody knows it's a rule? If these players are so dedicated to the game, they should know what they're doing and realize what constitutes a legal pitch. Do we really agree that the proper solution here is to pretend it didn't happen and send the batter to first base?

And your suggestion that you would have reminded the pitcher to make sure he doesn't roll the ball is tantamount to coaching, which is not our role on the field. You might get away with that here, but if you make a similar "suggestion" to a player in a college game or high level high school game, you can be sure that the opposing coach is not going to be pleased. Why set yourself up for more trouble?

Umpires really need to be careful about taking the game into their own hands for the sake of minimizing trouble. Sometimes that leads to even more trouble than it's worth. If your partner had not called that last pitch illegal, and the team of cops knew it was illegal, started arguing with him, settled down, ended up not scoring that inning, and then lost the game later, is that a favorable outcome to you? Your partner know full well that GCL had won that game by the rules, and he took that win away for the sake of keeping both teams actively engaged on the field. Not a good idea.

 

[TopCatDad]

Bet they all know the rule now.


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[djcarter1966]

Yeah...the big issue there is you ASSUME nobody on the other side knows the rules...all it takes is one who tells the coach who then asks for time and approaches the umpire with the question. Now what do you do? Are you going to LIE and tell him thats not the rule? If there is any type of protest mechanism it will surely do the right thing and now you as the umpire look like you don't know what you are doing. As much as it stinks the easiest thing is to always go by the rules.

The only things I let go are things that BOTH coaches have shook hands on at the plate in a local or house type game maybe JV or something and it is usually just to let the teams bat an extra player or free substitutions so more kids can play and get in the game

 

[The Man In Blue]

I get where you are going Testandor, and I admire what you are hoping to accomplish ... but it is a fool’s errand.

I admit that there are things that I choose not to see sometimes or times when there is nothing to be gained by enforcing an “administrative” rule (such as keeping one foot in the box as CHSUmp mentioned) ... but you are always taking a risk with that.

Warnings on illegal pitches? Just had this discussion in the game we just wrapped up. We are 3-4 weeks into the middle school season with about 2 weeks left. Why should we not be calling illegal pitches at this point? Why do we not call them from the very beginning? It is no more or less illegal. How do you know if it is a pitcher who is learning and struggling or a pitcher who knows what is legal and has been taught to “get every advantage”? We should be calling the rules because none of that is any of our business.

We may not always understand why a rule is in place, but it certainly isn’t there “just because”. There is a purpose and a reason. It may not always be a good purpose or reason, but it is a purpose and a reason.

(I am guilty too.)

 

[testandor]

Last week or so really busy, leaving no time at night to check in here. Thanks for the comments. I'll reply to each one. But first, I want to be clear here.

1) My post was NOT part of a "Change The Rules When You See Fit" manifesto! It was just a story of a tough ending to a game that created the only post-game riot I've ever been involved in. My guess is that most of you have never seen a post game riot on an ump's call to end a game.
2) This was just a story about a quandary. A tough spot, with a tough call to make, and my thoughts about that.
3) My comment about a "feel for the game" was meant to understand the differences in what kind of game you were officiating. Hence my comparing the different kind of softball games we may be hired to officiate. To me, there's something very official about a HS game. Same with an elimination tournament. Both strictly by the book.
4) Most importantly, I fully understand that EVERY SINGLE THING that suggests skirting the rules is WRONG! It's not in our power to do so. I MEAN THIS! But it shouldn't preclude discussion about tough situations where you thought of - or did - ignore a rule, hopefully for what you thought was the best interest of the game. Some will not even entertain this type of discussion. That's OK. I find them thought provoking, and sometimes- as I think the case is here - just a good read.

In my story, there were tough things that needed to be done, and feelings afterwards that I questioned. Therefore, just a quandary, with the hope of telling an interesting story, while eliciting some interesting conversation.

COMP

Since when do rules only apply in certain situations?????

Never! See comment 4 above.

The pitcher got exactly what he deserved, and by doing so lost the game.

Maybe so. But did both teams all get what they deserved that day? Was justice served that day? Probably not. But, yes, I know. It's not our job. What do we care? Dumb hot head pitcher deserved it.

And exactly how do you respond to the offended coach if you don't call the illegal pitch and he knows the rules?????

Reasonable question. I've given that question some thought more than a few times over the years. Can't hurt the other team either. I think I know now what I would have done, but I wouldn't have known it back then.

I think I wouldn't have called the illegal pitch. One of 2 things happens. Either I am correct, and not one person knows that rule, in which case the game ends by someone actually doing something that involves playing the game, OR, I'm wrong and someone DOES know the rule. Seems to me the coach, or someone else on GCL, comes out to me or calls out to me, "Hey, Blue! He can't roll that pitch in to my batter. That's an illegal pitch!" All is still quiet at this point, because all that's happened is that I've sent the batter to 1B. I either think for a second on my own, or more likely, I take a minute to confer with my partner. After that I call over the Streets manager, and tell him that I stand corrected, and inform him that his pitcher did throw an illegal pitch by rolling it in, and that the penalty for that is all runners advance one base. Streets will still be pissed. They will still flip out. Justice will have been served, no one will have been cheated, hurt or short changed, and I will have tried to not end a game on a rule that most likely no one knew.

By the way, again, my distinction between types of games. In HS and travel, the coaches are actually teaching the kids the game - and in most cases, they know the rules. In adult leagues, the coaches more often than not are just a team member who takes on the responsibility of being in charge. In the case of rec leagues, very often it's just a parent who may or may not know all the rules.

 

[testandor]

I did enjoy this story!

Thanks. That was the point.

And I can picture the scene like I was there!

That was my hope.

 

[testandor]

CHSUmp97

There are certain times where I will ignore a rule for the sake of game management... one foot in the batter's box between pitches... as long as the batter is back in the batter's box well before the pitcher is ready to pitch, I ignore the violation... not anal about not switching softballs when the pitcher has a hard time finding the zone, and she asks for a new ball

Both seem reasonable, and more than likely somewhat common.

In discussions about these scenarios, I'm pummeled by questions of how many other rules I'm going to ignore.

Which is what makes these types of discussions almost impossible. Some people won't - or just don't care to -enter into these kind of talks. We're not talking about OTHER situations...were talking about ONE SPECIFIC situation. We KNOW that playing around with rule enforcement is wrong. If it weren't, there'd be no problem with talking about these things. But if some people are black and white and no shades of gray, then they can either stay out of the conversation, or remind the poster that it's wrong no matter what, and ask what other rules he's going to change or ignore. You should be able to discuss these types of scenarios without getting pummeled with the same "slippery slope" warnings. I prefer the conversation.

But in your scenario, honestly, the pitcher reaped what he sowed. Why should we ignore a player who has become a jerk and purposely violated a rule? We should just let it happen because nobody knows it's a rule?

We know the guy was a jerk. Lots of players - and coaches and fans - become jerks during games. This is nothing new.

But he didn't purposefully violate a rule! He didn't know the rule, or he would have thrown the 4th pitch the same way he threw the first three! He did, however, purposely violate the spirit of the rule on all four pitches, by preventing the batter from hitting the ball. But the rule only restricts the 4th pitch - the one that was rolled.

I'm not saying we should just let it happen. Again, it's meant as a good story of an actual event, that produced a quandary, and that's meant for discussion. I gave my account of what - in retrospect - could have been done. My only two guiding principles are that it's in the best interest of that game, and that no one gets slighted. I believe my one possible scenario stayed within those guidelines.

If these players are so dedicated to the game, they should know what they're doing and realize what constitutes a legal pitch.

This is the only area I have some disagreement with you, CHSUmp97. These are not teenaged girls playing varsity or travel, where they're committed to the game, practice during the week and take private lessons. They're just hard working adults, who like the rest of us, have full lives with responsibilities. All they're trying to do is get some break in their routine and have some fun reliving - or trying to extend - their baseball playing days of yesteryear. I highly doubt any of them are "so dedicated to the game" that they'd be reading rules, other than the ones they knew when they played the game, or when they watch MLB.

And your suggestion that you would have reminded the pitcher to make sure he doesn't roll the ball is tantamount to coaching, which is not our role on the field.

I know that. But I've done that in low level games, or in 12U, maybe even low level 14U fall scrimmages with no advancement. They're just playing for the chance to work out the new team they just assembled. Reminding them of a pitching violation doesn't hurt anybody, IF it's done in a setting that seems appropriate, such as I've mentioned earlier.

You might get away with that here, but if you make a similar "suggestion" to a player in a college game or high level high school game, you can be sure that the opposing coach is not going to be pleased.

AGREED! As I've said before, I never umpired High School varsity. But I coached it for 19 years. This is where knowing what level you're officiating is crucial. As I said in my 4 rules when replying to COMP, there is something very special and formal about high school ball. For me, it is always by the book! I always assumed that all of the coaches know the rules. In my one specific scenario, there are no fans - other than some family - just coming out to watch the big game. There are no reporters who will have game stories in the local newspaper about that game. No interviews of the coaches or winning pitcher. It's just an entirely different level, although no less important to the participants.

If your partner had not called that last pitch illegal, and the team of cops knew it was illegal, started arguing with him, settled down, ended up not scoring that inning, and then lost the game later, is that a favorable outcome to you?

NO, not at all! In your scenario, now the other team got screwed! It is certainly not acceptable! In my answer to COMP, I addressed this. In my mind, my way of possibly handling it would hurt no one, and IF GCL did know the rule, it could have been corrected immediately, with both umpires, in the end, doing what we're supposed to do - get the play right!

Thanks so much for your comments, CHSUmp97. I enjoyed the chance to think through your challenges to my post.