[Jim Porter]

Warren,

I s'pose this debate is all about one's definition of, "official." I take it to mean that a particular league has specifically sanctioned the use of that manual to train their umpires and/or settle protest disputes. I know of no amateur league which has specifically declared the NAPBL Manual (now the PBUC Manual,) official.

If you are saying that the NAPBL is official in the sense that it provides rulings which are considered official in professional leagues, and since it's their rulebook, what they say goes - - I can understand that.

I'm a firm believer that professional leagues are the sole authorities when it comes to the Official Baseball Rules. It's their book. No one understands the history or spirit and intent better than the OBR's owners do.

Now, since the PBUC Manual is loaded with professional interpretations, and Jim Evans' Official Baseball Rules Annotated is also loaded with professional interpretations, and also since no amateur league has specifically mandated either book as official for use in their league, I would submit that both carry equal weight to today's umpire of amateur baseball. I just don't understand why an umpire would accept one and not the other. It just makes no sense to me.

Now, as far as Little League goes, we all thought the NAPBL Manual was considered official for use in Little League. Apparently we were wrong. I have heard that the UIC of LL has decided that the NAPBL is not official for use in LL. I am still awaiting confirmation, but I fear the source was rather reliable. So, despite Jim Booth's letter, the NAPBL Manual simply isn't official in Little League Baseball.

Now, does that mean we should toss it away? CERTAINLY NOT! It is a vital tool for a total understanding of the professional rules of the game, which are used in amateur play.

What the NAPBL and JEA tell us is golden. When it does not conflict with your league's rules, those books should be every umpire's guiding force. Without them we are left to sort through the OBR as is, which is an impossible task even for Bfair. That would lead to tens of thousands of different rulings from millions of umpires. That should be avoided at all costs.