[Carl Childress]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Bfair

Originally posted by Carl Childress

Rumble, in the Federation News, ruled:

R1...after reaching second base is told by a defensive player that the ball is foul. As a result R1...leaves the base and is tagged out. RULING: [T]he umpire shall call time to prevent R1 from being tagged out. The umpire shall eject the violator, unless the offense was judged to be of a minor nature. Otherwise, the umpire may warn the offender and then eject him, if he repeats the offense. (#11, 3/96)

Thus, the offense became obstruction in FED the year I retired from the field. I officiated only one high school game after that interpretation came into effect. I was the plate umpire for that game. See also BRD, Section 321

I still don't understand. I have recently received BRD and I am trying to assure I am reading it properly----sometimes I find it, too, confusing. It appears to say the infraction is, indeed, obstruction with one base being awarded and not as you say above. Which is correct? Was the Fed rule change made as a result of the Rumble ruling (and therefore after it) or was it already in the books prior to the ruling with the ruling being a clarification? It seems there is no penalty applied for this detestable act of fibbery.

Now the high school rule is obsruction if the runner hasn't reached second; it's a warning if he has. The award is second, just as if it were a fake tag.

As you know, neither J/R or JEA is "official," though they contain many official interpretations. I'm don't know about your association, but I have always taught that the umpire must ensure that the rules are followed, that one side does not gain an advantage not intended by those rules, that decisions must be announced for all to hear and see.

My error. I didn't realize this was one of the positions for which "intent" was okay to be used. It seems to be forgotten by you in so many of your other posts when thinking about "intent" does not favor your position.

If you have thought that I don't worry about the intent of the rules, then I've misled you. I wrote earlier about my book The Umpire's Answer Book, as you know. That book deals with the intent behind the rules. I've argued at great length that knowing the history and background of the rules is necessary if an umpire wishes to reach the top rank of his association. I am happy to set the record straight.

I understand preventative officiating, but I also understand that too many of your otheir postitions seem black and white "by the book". It seems to me that R1 should ask you about the play before you intervene and take the play out of the hands of the shortstop. I see this technique of trickery no different than the trickery of a hidden ball trick or the allowable fake tag under the OBR interpretations (tell me that interpretation fits with the written rule, huh!). It seems you are deciding to allow which techniques you approve of and you eliminate those which you don't approve of. I missed that part in the rulebook and the mechanics book. Is it listed under coaching? Do you really feel R1 needs you as a third baserunning coach instead of relying on those provided to him by the rules?

I'm flattered that you are following my Internet career so closely. One gets few chances to really mentor younger officials once one retires. I must plead guilty to using those techniques I like and eschewing those I dislike. I am no romantic. Rather, I tend to be pragmatic, with a huge dose of Benthamism.

Your view here, though, seems at odds with what I'fve understood to be your general philosophy of umpiring. You've told us you are interested in getting the call right. I would think that should include telling a kid he's made a base safely. You say it's coaching; I say, it's announcing what happened on the play. It's simply a matter of style, though. I've found my style to be quite user-friendly over the years. No coach has ever come screaming to me that I was interfering in the game.

[b]Now, let's pretend you're the Coach of the offense, and I'm the base umpire.

R1 trots to second on a passed ball, F6 says: "Foul ball!" Your runner "looks to" me for confirmation. (Remember, that's how Ben described the runner's initial reaction.)

I say nothing.

Now, the runner leaves second and is tagged between the bases. Worse, I yell: "He's out!"

Try to imagine your reaction. Might I not receive a visit? I can almost hear your first two questions: "Isn't my runner entitled to know what happened? When he looked to you to see if the fielder was right, why didn't you say anything?"

Steve wrote:

Because I wasn't asked, coach. I don't coach your players. If you are worried about upsetting the coach or being wrong, Childress, you probably shouldn't be on the field. But I have run into many who preach one thing and then do something totally different on the field. Your fear of upsetting coaches might be an indicator to get me thinking which camp you'd be in.

If you'll recall, I told Ben in my first post that some umpires would counsel him to keep his mouth shut. So far, you are the only one, but I'm sure there are many others. It's simply a matter of style, though. You said I "probably shouldn't be on the field." My wife certainly agrees with you.

Indeed, I have always worried about upsetting coaches. I calculate that that concern was the main cause of my success as an official. I worked hard at my job. I studied many hours. I called every game I could get, at every level I could find. I tried every suggestion for game control I encountered. And I discovered the secret forumla. There are three ingredients.

1. Call good!
   Learn the rules. Use proper mechanics: get into position, watch your timing, don't be tentative. Use your common sense: Don't make an unusual call on a routine play.
2. Control the game.
3. Preserve the balance.

I urge you to rethink your position on the deke at second. In a FED game you will naturally penalize the defense at once. But in your summer OBR game, you have all the leeway necessary. The first time someone in a Pony game says "Foul ball!" on a passed ball, try telling the young runner to hang on the base. I'll bet two things will happend.

Nobody will complain that you were coaching the kids.

When the game is over, you'll feel better about yourself.