[Tim C]

Bfair, when I first read this post I wondered “What’s he Smokin’”

Then I read the whole thing and it BEGS for an answer:

The Official Rules of Baseball have flourished for over 100 years. The book has attempted over the years to keep from making what could be considered “trendy” changes.

The OBR has traditionally been written for the masses not a bunch of internet umpires that attempt to tear each rule down to comma’s and dashes. The book is an attempt to write a simple set of nine rules (10 if you count the all important Scoring Section) that can be used by all types of play.

The WONDERFUL part of OBR is exactly what you decry. It is a simple set of rules that can be discussed and interpretations made that make it a living book.

"What do we see on TV?" We see players and OFFICIALS calling a professional game exactly as the “system” wants. bFair, the “way” the TV game is called is what professional sports want (i.e. in the NBA the system wants players to decide a game at the end not the officials – so they don’t call bumps on the inside and NEVER call lane violations. In the NFL much more contact is allowed between receiver and DB when late in the game and, as we all know, you could call holding on every play).

You see officials making “many accurate” calls – wow, what a statement. What you really see, if you’ll set your ego aside, is THOUSANDS of calls made PERFECTLY. So b, I don’t know where your manufactured quote (“not made at the major league level due to other pressures put upon them”) comes from but it is inaccurate. Your example of the Clemens bat incident is your opinion, not the opinion of the six guys working the game. By taking one example, a poor one at that, and trying to make your point is much like saying “everyone does it!”

You ask “what do we see from rule makers and interpreters?”

We see a system where thousands of games are played under a simple rulebook. We see that the Major League Baseball, which has the financial resources, produce for their users a detailed manual that covers “things not clearly listed in the OBR.” That book has been researched and published by a specific user for games played under THEIR view of what rules are. The book certainly is not appropriate for use by ALL ages that happen to play under that general set of rules, therefore that book should not be for public use.

Since Abner Doubleday invented only the BASE for a game I have serious doubt if there would be a problem with the ‘modern’ view of the game. The game, the players and fans have all evolved over the decades of play. And it is WONDERFUL that the book has stayed as current as it has.

Bfair, even in Pleasantville there was an understanding that change simply to change may not be best for all. We need to review rules, processes and administration for the LEVEL of play which we umpire. Not endorse wholesale change to fit the attitude of the “Now” generation.

If you want "new" watch the XFL. For me baseball is baseball BECAUSE OF the rules NOT in spite of the rules.

[Edited by Tim C on Feb 8th, 2001 at 01:42 PM]