Quote:
Originally posted by mcrowder
Why not word it correctly?
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... and take care of the rest of the rule book while they're at it?
Sure, it's easy to misinterpret, like much of the rest of the book. Some coaches are looking for any edge they can get out of the rule book. Some umpires read the rule book a little too literally (pointing at myself, for example). Everybody has a tendency to take things out of context, particularly when the context's almost unintelligible.
The part of POE #36 I
will quote to coaches & players, though, is "In previous years, coaches taught to block the base, catch the ball, make the tag. This year, it's catch the ball, block the base, and make the tag". I won't even consider this ruling or this lecture if there's no runner coming right at the fielder. I've had lots of sitches where that left arm started to come up; but I've only called OBS once this year -- it was very deserved.
I just came back from a 19-year absence. The rule book's gotten HORRIBLE while I was away. The ASA needs to spend a few extra bucks and have it professionally edited. There's a rule book about how to write ("The Elements of Style", Strunk et al), and it -- just like the ASA expects
its rules to be followed -- should be followed, too.