Proper Verbage
A recent thread posted by my3sons discusses an Officials' Quarterly example for yOOO's to consider. "Making final decisions on points not covered". A do over!"
I copied the thread here and made small corrections in caps to fit the topic of Switching Batters Boxes. This sitch is repeated (repeatedly) throughout the ballgame. The umpire is unsure if any of the pitches would have been called a strike had the batters not tried to confuse, hinder or impede the pitcher's normal delivery into the stirke zone.
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Sitch: Count is 0-1, batter leaves left batters box to enter right batters box. Count is 0-2, batter leaves right batters box to enter left batters box. Count is 0-3, batter leaves left batters box to RE-enter right batters box. Count is 0-4, the batter wants to see another pitch. After some delay, the umpire has to verbally remind the batter that ball four has been awarded.
What to do when this happens:
Call time, tell the NEXT batter to STAY in the box.
Gather head coaches and umpires in a big circle.
Say to defensive coach "I can't call THE LAST ONE out because the pitches weren't in the strike zone, but it might have been without his unsportsmanlike act."
Say to offensive coach "I'm gonna let him remain as a RUNNER, but if he ever pulls that stunt again in any game I'm umpiring, I will eject him AFTER MY warning.
Say to both coaches "That's my ruling. There's nothing in the book to cover it. So, smile, nod, and go back to your positions and let's play ball.
Return to the plate and signal 0-0, and say to the NEXT "Batter, never pull that stunt again."
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There are other potenital outcomes such as giving the COACH THIRD base box, THE DUGOUT or ejecting him. Those are shot down as not being as good as the do over. The do over will be the call which is "most easily sold" according to the article. I think we may have found Rollie's long lost twin.
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Luke, LDUB
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BigUmp56,
You might as well just eject the defensive manager before the pow-wow and save time. It's an eventuality anyway if you pull this stuff. What ever happened to ring him up and set him down?
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NOW BIGump, I think I said that too. I provide a better alternative based on the initial PLATE CONFERENCE. But yOOO now have another interepretation to consider, one ALMOST covered in Officials' Quarterly, the DO-Over.
[Edited by SAump on Feb 18th, 2006 at 07:21 PM]
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