How about this call?

[uncdrew]

She almost touches the plate as she sets her feet to throw, but nope... she missed it.

 

[Gags]

That's what I'm thinking - the ump was expecting the out, and in slow motion, it's hard not to say that her foot might have brushed the top of the plate. I'll also admit that it looks obvious in real time that she missed it.

In umps defense, he may also have been expecting the "foot-drag across the plate", vs. a full step on the plate. That look in the catcher's eyes though - "really? I can touch the plate AFTER the runner crosses and she's still out?....oooookkkk...."

And a turf homeplate - just seems lazy design to me. Is it that hard to put a real plate on a field?

 

[MikeP]

You can't call what you can not see and be sure of. If there is no way for me to be able to see, I can't call it unless I am certain.

That said - the box doesn't magically go away because the lines aren't there. While I can't 'imagine' a line perfectly, if the player is CLEARLY outside the box at contact and it is blatant (like stepping on a plate or being a way in front of the box at contact) I will make the call. But I will need to be REAL certain. You don't make calls up - either it happened or it didn't. In one of the old ASA case books I believe it even addressed it as 'best judgment' and any doubt err of the side of the batter.

That seems reasonable and that was why I said she wasn't way out in front, probably right on the front of where the line should have been. It didn't become an issue and the ump didn't seem too concerned, just curious. Thanks.

 

[2br02b]

You can't call what you can not see and be sure of. If there is no way for me to be able to see, I can't call it unless I am certain.

That said - the box doesn't magically go away because the lines aren't there. While I can't 'imagine' a line perfectly, if the player is CLEARLY outside the box at contact and it is blatant (like stepping on a plate or being a way in front of the box at contact) I will make the call. But I will need to be REAL certain. You don't make calls up - either it happened or it didn't. In one of the old ASA case books I believe it even addressed it as 'best judgment' and any doubt err of the side of the batter.

Okay - I gotta ask. Is there a penalty for purposely erasing the front line on the box? We have a batter who will walk right in there and just rub out the front line - look right at the umpire while she is doing it. Never had an ump say anything and she does it almost every tournament.

Full disclosure - 2 seasons ago we were at a tournament where the lines were put down wrong - the box was inverted. Before the game, we talked to the umpire and he agreed the lines were wrong. When we sent this batter out, we told her to just rub out the front of the box because the line was wrong, and she has been doing it when she feels like it ever since...

 

[SB45]

I imagine there is a rule about intentional destruction of the field of play or something...I'm sure an ump could toss a player for rubbing out the batters box...I wouldn't fight it. That's a slippery slope. The boxes in the video are clearly a foot short in the front if not more (baseball boxes)...she's not out of the box. Kind of a crazy play to even attempt with the bases loaded...and to give it away early? I wouldn't be too happy about the elbow thrown at first base.

 

[2br02b]

I wouldn't be too happy about the elbow thrown at first base.

Jeepers - this is like a freakin' training video. So much happening in a few seconds. Look at what happens at 3rd too..

 

[grcsftbll]

I wouldn't be too happy about the elbow thrown at first base.

I can only guess she gets this stuff from school ball. It's not from our coach. I don't know who remembers this, but I posted a video 2 years or more ago where a batter takes my daughter out at 1B with pretty extreme force, and she was twice my kid's size. Not something he'd ever condone. On the plus side, this particular player might be 80 pounds soaking wet so she can't do much damage. We have a lot of work to do, clearly. Unfortunately you can only accomplish so much so fast.

 

[uncdrew]

It looks like (perhaps) that he acknowledges that the catcher's initial stance missed the plate. He doesn't even start to call her out until she moves her feet to throw, at which point it does look like she almost does slide over the plate.




He seems to look at her feet right here and then makes the call.

Perhaps it wasn't quite as bad a call as we initially thought.

 

[Gags]

Jeepers - this is like a freakin' training video. So much happening in a few seconds. Look at what happens at 3rd too..

As it currently played out, it should have been obstruction on 3B, but with no base awarded, b/c the runner (R2?) wasn't going any further since the catcher held the ball - is that a correct statement?

The elbow at 1B would also not be interference, unless the play continued, and 1B was involved with the play?

 

[canyonjoe]

I have to say that that's as good of video job as I've witnessed. I wish you had been around to do our games.