[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by GaryBarrentine

Personal attack right off the bat, this should be good!

Really, then why does the rule book I get with my registration not have the rule exception you have spoken of?

It's not an exception, it is direction to an umpire, but I've said that before. Apparently, you are only interested in hearing yourself talk.

Thats right I have to go and buy another rule book with the umpires manual in it.

Just like an umpire must go and buy a copy of the Clinic Guide or Case Book if they desire to have that information. I offer free clinics to all ASA umpires and routinely have an open invitation to all coaches. In more than five years, I have yet to see a coach who was not an umpire attend any of our state clinics. I also have opened up our state umpire school to the local ASA programs at a discounted rate to help train their league umpires/parents so that the local leagues that cannot afford or attain regular umpires still have a taste of what they will see during a tournament. In the last five years, five have signed up, but only one has attended. The others just are not interested in providing a better game environment for their teams. I have been told by officers of leagues that they just don't feel it is that important that they would need to waste the registration money ($20).

I know a few umpires that don't have a clue.

So do I and it is because they do NOT attend clinics, schools or even attempt to further their knowledge of the rules and mechanics other then pick up a new rule book each year, just like many coaches.

How can they, if the rule books they are given to use are incomplete?

They are not. That is a presumption on your behalf because you don't care for some of the answers you get.

No, but you make yourself into one when you are the only one privey to certain rule exceptions, because they are only listed in the umpires manual!

How many times must you be reminded this is not an exception?

Is irrellavent. If a strategy is developed from a rules clarification or interpretation, so what?

I'm not going to repeat myself. Are you one of these e-teamz idiots that believes that if someone is deep into umpiring that they have never coached or does not know the game as a coach? I know you are not that dumb because your posts of the past have always been to a level of intelligence not demonstrated by many.

Hell, there are umpires out there that know the teams better than the coaches. You want a hint? If you ever see a base umpire move to a position that seems to be just a bit out of place, it is probably because they know the pitcher and batter well enough that they can anticipate where a batted ball will go or what play may come next. Admittedly, this is more prevelant in SP, but I've seen an umpire shade toward a play in all games just because they know what is coming next.

Why should his buddy have to read the umpires manual for an exception to a rule?

A situation that has an exception that is not availiable to all parties!

Until the exception is listed in the rules or POE this is how it should be.

WHAT EXCEPTION? Let me give you the simplest explanation available. If the catcher and BR collide, as the umpire if I do not judge an act of interference by the BR, there is no interference, and that is the rule. The notation in the Umpire Manual is simply direction to ASA umpires in the manner in which rule 8.2.F.1 should be administered in this situation. That is part of the nationwide training ASA provides in an effort to assure teams that a call in CA will be the same as the call in PA. Obviously, because of the clueless umpires noted above, that will not happen if the umpire/UIC fail in their responsibility to attain/provide the appropriate training.

Without the rules you have no valid game, without a valid game there is nothing to coach to, so the only way to coach is to the rules!

Rubbish!! A coach should be worried about teaching players how to hit, catch, field, throw and run. Players should be coached in the mechanics and how to play within the rules, not attempting to skirt them.

There should be only one rule book, with the rules, all exceptions, all notes, and all interpreatations. This way everyone is on the same ground when it comes to the rules!

The exceptions are noted. They are the part of the rule where the paragraph begins with "EXCEPTION:" As for interpretations, I've explained to you how to obtain that information. If you choose not to make that effort, that's your issue, not the umpire's.