[mcrowder]

Apples, I think you're going to find it pretty unanimous - just call the game. There are those who will stretch the strikezone a bit (I don't - but some do and I don't fault them for it), but you surely don't want to be "looking for outs" or calling interference when it isn't there.

But to me, the worst thing you did was lecture the kid about running up the score. If there is any sportsmanship talk that needs to occur, it's with a coach, not a player (and in my opinion, it shouldn't come from the umpire, but rather from the coach's supervisor). How do you know the coach didn't put in his backup backup 2B, who bats 4-5 times a season. That kid is trying to show his coach he can steal a base. It is NOT our place to tell kids not to try their hardest in every situation. Shame on the coach ... but never the player.

I have "stretched" things in a manner like you describe exactly twice. Both similar... the most recent - one team was just KILLING the other and the bad team just couldn't throw strikes at all. 30-something to 2 or 3. The coach, for about 6 batters, was chiding his players if they didn't swing at anything close (meaning head-high and 6 inches outside). After about 6 batters he calls time and comes to me - tells me just to call anything within reach a strike, just to get his kids to swing. And even with "permission", it took me another 4-5 batters before I really did what he asked, and it felt wrong to do it.