I called a 14-U B tournament this weekend. ASA. Had a coach from Tyler who assured me she played the game, coached the game, and by the way, knew the rules better than me. According to this guru of rules knowledge:
1) She never has to inform me of a pitching change.
2) She can take as long as she wants to get her defense on the field, even if she takes 4 minutes and 20 seconds. I was BU in this game.
3) She doesn't have to put a batter in the box until she's good and ready.
4) On OBS calls, the runner can
always be put out if she retreats. She's only protected if she goes forward.
5) When using the DP/Flex, she most certainly can bat all 10.
6) Her 1st baseman most assuredly can stick a leg out and touch 1st base when no play is forthcoming, tripping the runner going around 1st. ( Two girls were injured and could not finish the tournament. More were tripped. )
And, my most favorite one of all, which was approximately the next to last statement before she left my ball field,
7) " I don't take this from any umpire, they all know I know the rules better than them. They listen to me!!!"
8) Also, a coach does not have to leave the park after an ejection, if a warning wasn't issued before the ejection.
Now, the team was pretty good. The kids were a joy to be around. I had them 4 games and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of them. The parents were cool. After the coach left the field, the Asst Coach came up, asked a few questions and let me know that they weren't like that and it was a combination of 2 teams. They wouldn't be together again. Whatever.
The only disturbing thing was the tripping at 1st. It happened in my 1st game with them, no one was hurt. My partner handled it correctly, I thought. However, later in the day, they actually did injure 2 players who could not finish the tournament. It became public knowledge in the blue's dressing room to be on the lookout for it. I didn't think it was intentional, until the 1st baseman was pulled and then the substitue 1st baseman did the same thing. The light finally dawned and I realize, someone is teaching this. A not too congenial conversation took place immediately after the light turned on in my head.
The question I have is how come you East Texas blues are letting this coach get away with all this? And letting her intimidate you? Shame, shame!
Ya'll have my sympathies if you have to call a lot of their games. The team is fun, the coach was just a nuisance.
[Edited by TexBlue on May 24th, 2004 at 11:47 AM]