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Originally Posted by Dukat
In all my years of umpiring and coaching I have never had this happen so it caught me off guard but I want your opinions. I am both umpire and coach in our organization. I Coach 15U Girls SP and umpire when my team is not playing in the other age groups in SP and FP. Our league has a 60 minute time limit and 15 after 3 and 10 after 5. My team is very good and we have only taken a game to the time limit twice all year. With that said I do try to keep the score from getting too out of control and hold them to singles and what not when I can and also try and get these girls as much playing time as I can within the rules. In this particular situation I am up 15-1 in the bottom of the third, no outs and R1 on 3rd with almost 30 minutes left on the clock. The batter gets up and hits it to the outfield. I hold the runner on third and stop the batter at first. The PU screams at me from behind the plate I HAVE to run that runner at third home (No Force behind her). I told him that I will coach the team and he can umpire the game. He starts barreling down the baseline after me screaming so I turn my back and walk away telling him I will not be baited. He finally walks back into position. Once I got bases loaded and got a hit I ran the girl home. He is trying to use the delay of game tactic on me and I asked my UIC about it and he agrees with me that without the force and being a timed game that rule does not apply. All I was trying to do was give two more girls an at bat. If I was telling my girls to strike out to get to another inning or making a travesty of the game I could understand. By my interpretation of the rules I was OK. What say ye?
FYI: The next night he restricted a coach to the dugout for holding his girls to singles in a game he was up by over 20 runs using the same logic.
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Let's see, you are knowingly involved in a league which has tight time limits and they you try to beat those limits as a coach for a couple extra bats for two girls which will take the game past the time limit. And, from what you indicate here, you are not the only coach who does this. So, my question is why play in a league with such a short time allowed for games? Obviously, there is no parity among the teams.
My opinion: When the game is that lopsided, it needs to be allowed to end, not extended for a weak excuse like a couple extra at bats. Is that worth a player on either team suffering an injury during the extended period of time that probably shouldn't have been played?
Edited to clarify: I am not supporting the manner in which this "umpire" acted. No comment on the rules as this is obviously not ASA.