Quote:
Originally posted by PAblue87
It seems to be that lately most of the posts have been these far fetched hypothetical situations in which there can be many different interpretations. It almost seems as like everyone is overanalyzing the game, or over-umpiring. Sometimes the best advice is to know the rules and use your best judgment.
It would be nice to hear of some real game situations regarding rules or mechanics. It seems as though many of us here in the north are getting cabin fever and have no real game scenarios to talk about.
Just my opinion and something to think about.
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I don't think I could disagree with you more!The only far fetched plays are those Jim Porter created; he submitted about one a week. They are
labeled as third-world plays; they are intended to be fun (although they are always instructional) and to stimulate an umpire to search his rule book and solve the question by viewing the situations logically and sequentially. I see in them much the same pedagogical value that other Americans in other times have attached to studying Latin or algebra (for non-math majors): The two disciplines are excellent tools for sharpening one's mind even though they don't always have practical value.
OTOH: Just in
THE LAST FOUR DAYS we've had posts on plays that seem pretty commonplace to me:
- the tendency of umpires of amateur games to get help on close plays
- is time out when the umpire sweeps the plate?
- should the umpire signal safe when the batter-runner misses first base but beats the ball?
- a batter's backswing knocks the ball out of the catcher's glove
- legality of a pitcher setting twice with his feet
- a batter hit by a pitch that bounces into the dirt
Those are three questions on mechanics and three on the rules.
If you have some plays that are
less "far fetched [and] hypothetical," please submit them for the group.