[JRutledge]

officialtony,

You are missing the point. The rule does not permit or allow for warming up to take place during a defensive conference. I guess someone could use your logic and say that we should allow hitting the ball around the diamond during the conference as well. Why not allow infield practice? The rules do not disallow it.

This action is up to the umpire to make a decision on what he will allow. If it is me, I am not allowing throwing the ball around during a conference. For one there could be a delay if they throw the ball away. There is a safety issue if there are people standing around and not completely aware a baseball is being thrown around the infield. I do not care what other umpires do. I would only care if my state organization has given a specific ruling on this and they have never done so. That has not happen. There is no casebook situation that says this is OK. If the coach is so worried about his players warming up, then do it before the game or between innings. It does not even say in the rulebook that a team has the right to take infield before the game. It is not a right to have a kid warm-up in this situation. If you want to allow warming up, then allow it. I am not going to allow it. That is all there is to it.

Peace