[UmpJM]

Garth,

Hmmm,

The BRD supports what you and Bob J. suggest. I checked my notes from October & don't have anything written down that says one way or the other -if Jim had commented on this during class, I probably would have written it down, especially if it contradicted my understanding. But that's certainly not conclusive, by any stretch of the imagination.

(edited to add, simply as a point of information...) The J/R, on the other hand, seems to support the MLBUM ruling.

Since I will not ever be umpiring any MLB games in this life, I'm kind of inclined to go with what Garth and Bob J. suggest for any games I'm working - under the general principle of "don't go looking for boogers". Plus the vast majority of games I'll do this year, I'll be working "solo", and there's no way I could even make that fine a distinction on the question from behind the plate.

JM