[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by Ex Blue

I need some help. Here is what happened. I was the base umpire.

High school baseball. Bottom of 7th, visitors were ahead 9-8. Bases loaded, 1 out. The batter hit a line drive to right center and the winning run from second was headed to the plate as the ball was being thrown to the catcher. The first baseman, who was near the mound, cut the ball and threw to third to easily get the slow moving R1. R1 was running to third because he assumed the play would go to the plate since the winning run was scoring and his run did not matter. While all this was going on, the batter runner was watching the action and not paying attention to his base running. He missed first by two feet, which I saw clearly. The manager appealed under the new high school appeal rule and I called him out for the third out. Since the third out was at first base, the plate umpire and I conferred and disallowed the two runs, which gave the visitors the win. The home team went crazy and we had to be escorted off of the field. As we were leaving, the coach yelled at us that he was protesting the game but we had no time to get any of his reasons.

A couple days later, I got a call from the assignor asking me if the winning run scored before the out on R1 was made at third. I told him that I did not know, since I was the base umpire and had my back turned to the plate. The plate umpire also received the same call and he told the assignor that he could not remember. Keep in mind that the play at third was for the second out of the inning.

A week later, I found out that the protest was upheld and the game was awarded to the home team. The protest committee reviewed the circumstances, talked to witnesses, and decided that with near certainty, the winning run scored before the second out was made at third. Under rule 2-20 (2), which was cited by the protest committee in their ruling, a game is immediately over when the winning run crosses the plate in the bottom of the last inning except for base running infractions. Therefore, although the appeal out at first was legal because it was a base running infraction, the second out of R1 at third was not valid because it was made after the game was over.

We have harsh rules for umpires who miss a rule. If a protest is upheld against an umpire, the state bars him from working playoff games for two years and also bars him from working any varsity games for one year. Also, our organization automatically demoted us one rank in the umpire organization. In addition, we will not be paid for the game are will be fined $50 each. Since I only work varsity baseball, the rest of my season has been revoked.

Did we get the call right? I am not at all sure of their reasoning. The second out was made within a second or two of the winning run scoring and none of this was brought up at the field. Not that their was any opportunity because of the chaos.

The umpire president is a lawyer. He says that he will wave the $50 fine if I can find authoritative sources to back up my position. My banning from varsity and playoff games stands no matter what proof that I uncover, because the protest committee’s decision is final. The lawyer president suggested that I should have lied about seeing the missed base at first and avoided the whole mess.

I have six years of umpiring and I did some college scrimmages this year and I was scheduled for a few college games next year. That’s all out the window now and I have turned in my resignation and retired from umpiring. The only question mark is that $50. I am owed about $500 for the games that I worked so I can’t get out of paying it unless I can come up with authoritative opinion to the contrary. The president recommended that I write a letter to this web site and he would accept your opinion. He is not at all sure that the protest committee got it right either but even if they did not, my career is over. I cannot not undo the demotion and sanctions.

You said HS, and wanted some authoritative opinion to back it up so what better authoritative opinion than the HS rules / case book themselves.

FED rule 9-1-1 a run is NOT scored if the runner advances to home plate during action in which the third out is made as follows:

a. by the batter runner before he touches first base;

Here's a FED case play similar to your situation

FED case play 9.1.1I

With the bases loaded and one out, B1 hits a line drive to the right field fence. R3,R2 score. R1 is thrown out at the plate. B1 goes to third but misses first.

RULING NO RUNS SCORE - B1's out for missing first was the third out.

COMMENT No runs can score if the third out is a aforce out or if the batter does not reach first (8-2 Penalty)

Therefore, simply show the Pres or whomever the FED rule / case book for your support.

Pete Booth