- Jan 31, 2011
- 458
- 43
Good point. I never scream or yell at umpires. But at the end of the day, you expect a certain level of officiating. When you can't count on it, it changes strategies and management of a game. The doubt is always there...
Look back rule question
- Thread starter slagothar
- Start date
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Trouble in the making here.
In my opinion, this is a heavy-handed rule whose wording catches WAY more than what it was intended to regulate. While I do agree that the rule as written would apply here, I personally don't see anything wrong with the way this played out. If the pitcher has the ball in the circle with no attempt to make a play and all the runners are standing stopped, the ump should be able to call time and send the runners back to their bases.
Using this to waste time should be stopped. Using it to trick the defense on a dead ball should be stopped. Creating a situation where one baseline is live but the others are not is not a good rule in my book.
In my opinion, this is a heavy-handed rule whose wording catches WAY more than what it was intended to regulate. While I do agree that the rule as written would apply here, I personally don't see anything wrong with the way this played out. If the pitcher has the ball in the circle with no attempt to make a play and all the runners are standing stopped, the ump should be able to call time and send the runners back to their bases.
Using this to waste time should be stopped. Using it to trick the defense on a dead ball should be stopped. Creating a situation where one baseline is live but the others are not is not a good rule in my book.
That doesn't happen though.
- Dec 11, 2010
- 4,721
- 113
Teams that do this aren’t trying to waste time. They are trying to advance runners.
And they are not standing still, unless they want to be called out.
Its fascinatingly effective and controversial. DD’s college team did it twice in the past couple games. Both times the runner at 1 advanced to 2 and the runner at 3 scored.
Usually by now someone has posted that any 14u tb team can easily defend this and that it would never work in high school or above. Which is also fascinating.
And they are not standing still, unless they want to be called out.
Its fascinatingly effective and controversial. DD’s college team did it twice in the past couple games. Both times the runner at 1 advanced to 2 and the runner at 3 scored.
Usually by now someone has posted that any 14u tb team can easily defend this and that it would never work in high school or above. Which is also fascinating.
And almost all one man crew miss it....I was working this weekend behind the plate by myself, here's a conversation I had with a coach:
Coach: "Hey Blue did you see that runner left early?" (from first)
Me: "No"
Coach: "what do you mean, no?"
Me: " I mean no, I didn't see it"
Coach: "Why not"
Me: "well, that's a call for the base umpire, go ask him if he saw it"
Coach: "Huh, there is no base umpire"
Me: "AHA!"
Really hard for a single umpire to see anyone leaving early except 2B. I suppose that if it's blatant and happening regularly, he could quickly check just prior to the release of the pitch.
In the first & third situation, a field umpire at the C position is looking at the runner coming from 1B, not 3B. If the plate umpire is disciplined, they're checking the runner at 3B, but eyes are drawn toward motion.
I think it is what you're talking about. We had our pitcher turn her back on the runner at third because they usually edge off the base or stand and watch the throw, which never comes. The runner on 3rd gets called out often.
We play a team where the first base coach knows this, so he tells players to leave early on purpose. When they're a step early, whatever. But some girls are 12 feet off the base before the pitcher releases the ball.
In the past, I've talked to plate umpires and said something to the effect of "I know you are focused on the pitch, but they're leaving way early." I'm not sure what else to do other than hope the umpire can catch one of the more egregious offenders out of the corner of his eye.
