Finally, blue makes the right call

[Coach JV]

Saturday during 16U tourney, runner on 3; 1 out; game is tied at 2
DD is in the circle, 9th of the order at the plate
I call a screwball, batter (crowding) squares to bunt and on the attempt
is HBP in the forearm, drops her bat and heads to 1B. PU calls
'dead ball' indicates strike signal, batter trots toward 1B. PU asks her
to get back in the box to finish her AB. 3B coach goes crazy as he mistakenly
thinks she should be awarded 1B on the HBP. PU explains the rule;
ball is in the strike zone, batter makes the attempt and the result
by rule is dead ball strike.

Why is it so seldom that PU makes this call? I see it much more often than is is called.

BTW, justice was served when DD had a walk-off hit to the gap in the bottom of 8th in a 3-2 WIN
(3B coach stayed in the dugout, never coming out to congratulate the team or shake hands)

 

[obbay]

3B coach stayed in the dugout, never coming out to congratulate the team or shake hands

A real class act! I love it when adults act like babies. Too bad, it sounds like it was otherwise a very good game.

And it warms the cockles of my heart to hear that an ump actually called it a strike!

 

[tghorley]

Love it when Blues do get it right. Unfortunately I saw at times this weekend where they did not. Our team was in a big tournament with 227 teams in different age groups so the umpire pool was rather large. I think they got some of them out of the rest home from the looks of them.

I saw one play where there was a pop foul between 3rd and home. The pitcher was standing in fair territory and the ball was about two feet foul when she attempted to catch it. The ball hit her glove and fell to the ground. The umpire actually called fair ball because the pitcher was in fair territory and that the ball was foul made no difference.

In one game Friday night, I don't exactly remember what the play was, but the umpires changed their minds three times, and it still wasn't the correct call.

What was funny, I was talking to a friend of mind, who is a very good college umpire, and we were talking and kinda-of-sorta watching a game from behind the plate. I wasn't watching, but all of a sudden he says "what the heck, that dumb a$$." He told me there was an 0-2 count on the batter so the catcher put the target two feet off the plate and the umpire moved with her. The pitcher hit the target and the umpire called strike three. I told him that it happens at this level all the time.

We lucked out because we did not have controversies in our games, except for the usual large strike zones, perceived missed calls at bases, etc. It was fun just to be at the ballpark.

Of course you had the usual fans who did not know the rules and they had to voice their opinions.

Everyone must have been pretty well behaved though, because I did not hear of anyone getting bounced

 

[42'sdad]

I saw one play where there was a pop foul between 3rd and home. The pitcher was standing in fair territory and the ball was about two feet foul when she attempted to catch it. The ball hit her glove and fell to the ground. The umpire actually called fair ball because the pitcher was in fair territory and that the ball was foul made no difference.

I'm pretty sure that is the wrong call from the info you gave. Whether or not a ball is fair or foul has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the position of the fielder. Fair or foul has everything to do with the position of THE BALL in relation to the field when it hits said fielder. I could be wrong but that is the way I interpret it?


To the OP, it's great when blue gets one right!! We had the same situation this year. Girl on other team squared to bunt, clearly offered and got hit in the arm with ball. Ump gave her the base. I went out and asked blue if she offered? He said yes. So I said if she offered it's a strike, no matter where she gets hit with the ball. True story here. He said "Well what if she swings and misses and the ball hits her in the head"? I was in such shock to his brilliance I just gave up right then and there, and quietly went back to the duggout. It was a pool play game and we were in good shape, so I didnt' figure it was worth it.

 

[MTR]

I'm pretty sure that is the wrong call from the info you gave. Whether or not a ball is fair or foul has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the position of the fielder. Fair or foul has everything to do with the position of THE BALL in relation to the field when it hits said fielder. I could be wrong but that is the way I interpret it?


To the OP, it's great when blue gets one right!! We had the same situation this year. Girl on other team squared to bunt, clearly offered and got hit in the arm with ball. Ump gave her the base. I went out and asked blue if she offered? He said yes. So I said if she offered it's a strike, no matter where she gets hit with the ball. True story here. He said "Well what if she swings and misses and the ball hits her in the head"? I was in such shock to his brilliance I just gave up right then and there, and quietly went back to the duggout. It was a pool play game and we were in good shape, so I didnt' figure it was worth it.

Of course, it would be worth it. It is wrong and it should have been protested. If you saw this umpire later in the tournament, I'll bet you would think it was worth it.

 

[tghorley]

Of course, it would be worth it. It is wrong and it should have been protested. If you saw this umpire later in the tournament, I'll bet you would think it was worth it.

I agree with you 100% but with a caveat that it could come back to bite you. Some of these umps are not as professional as you, and some think you are protesting their manhood if you protest one of their calls. Later in the tournament you may never get a close call (even if it should go your way) or a tight strike zone for your pitcher and a loose one for your opponent's pitcher. I saw one umpire get confrontational with a coach during the protest and after the game because he lost a protest. The UIC was still there, so he sent the ump home for the rest of the tournament.

 

[3'sDad]

We had an umpire one time say to a fellow coach " Don't bring out the rule book, if you do you are immediately ejected."

He is a bit confrontational, but generally a good and consistent umpire. I'd take him over many others.

 

[FPump]

In one game Friday night, I don't exactly remember what the play was, but the umpires changed their minds three times, and it still wasn't the correct call.
If you can't remember the play, how do you know that the final call on the play was incorrect?

What was funny, I was talking to a friend of mind, who is a very good college umpire, and we were talking and kinda-of-sorta watching a game from behind the plate. I wasn't watching, but all of a sudden he says "what the heck, that dumb a$$."

I fail to see the humor. That such a remark was made by a "very good college umpire" toward a fellow umpire, especially one working at a lower level, is indeed a sad commentary.

Truly good umpires, umpires who are real deal don't put other umpires down.

 

[Sparky Guy]

From my experience umpires get it right most times. There are judgement calls I don't agree with, but that's why they're there. What I have noticed umpires will get creative when they miss something they shouldn't have and they try to cover their backside.

The last game we played we had two seasoned umps. One of them was umpiring when my daughter was playing. So I know his umpiring skills quite well. He's always been a good umpire. During the game he was the base umpire.

Situation: R1 on 2nd two outs. Single up the middle. Had the potential play at the plate cut off by the pitcher in the circle after the single, R1 scored. R2 was standing just off of first after rounding it, the ball was in the circle and my pitcher turned away from the runner with the ball in her hand feeling the play was over because R2 had stopped. Once my pitcher turned away the runner took off. The field umpire called time after R2 got to 2nd base killing everything. He then put her back on 1st. The offensive coach was arguing that R2 never stopped. Naturally I countered that R2 did stop and should be out on look back. The umpires conferred for a minute and let R2 stay. The FU stated they put her back on first because she "hesitated. " At that point I knew I was never going to win that one and let it go.

What I REALLY think happened was the FU gave up watching R2 when he thought the play was dead as well. Enter umpiring on the fly trying to keep everyone happy.

 

[Greenmonsters]

We had an umpire one time say to a fellow coach " Don't bring out the rule book, if you do you are immediately ejected."

He is a bit confrontational, but generally a good and consistent umpire. I'd take him over many others.

I have a flashback of Earl Weaver pulling a rulebook out - it didn't end well for Earl.

re the umpire in question - not a bad policy with the forewarning. IMO blue is saying that if the coach knows the rulebook well enough to coherently question a call or situation that he'll be willing to discuss it, but that he doesn't tolerate ignorant fools and considers a coach pulling out a rulebook on the field tantamount to showing him up.