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Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve
My question (and issue) is why you would tell the coach he cannot talk to them. He has not requested you suspend play, he is not delaying the game. He is not have a "conference"; he is talking to his player during a stoppage. What rule is he violating?
Let's start at the "nth" degree and work back, perhaps. If there was an injury stoppage, and while the defense was attending to that injured player, and a new picher had to warm up, would the offense not have the right to talk? I think everyone would allow that. Now, just an injury stoppage checking the status of players that collided, we would allow the offens eto talk, right? So, working backwards, there is no reason why either team should be limited from having a discussion during any stoppage they didn't request, as long as they don't delay the restart.
Let's be the protest committee on that one. As the coach, I protest your refusal to allow me to talk to my batter during a stoppage requested by the defense. Or I protest your decision to make that a charged conference when I ended as soon as you said "Let's Play". What rule would you apply that states I cannot do that?
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I'm being overly picky on this one looking to take the discussion a little farther. I'm playing off the wording. Figured it was my turn.
RS#9.B "It is not an offensive conference when a teamp representative confers with a batter and/or runner(s) during a
defensive charged conference as long as they are ready to play when the defense is ready, or when the pitcher is putting on a warm-up jacket"
Since the pitcher/catcher discussion is not a defensive charged conference why should the coach (and for this, I'm talking about a coach who has already used that inning's OC) be allowed to go talk to the batter.
Now, the argument will be, but they did not request a suspension of play. That is true. Question: When a batter steps toward the 3B coach after a pitch and she similarly just holds up a hand instead of being verbally specific, are you going to relax, maybe call time as a preventive measure?
If you do, do you consider that an offensive conference even though the team did not specifically request it?
Yes, I'm beating around the bush. Tom pointed out the definition of a charged conference. I pointed out that what the definition is and how it is applied by rule may not be the same thing. Then I moved to the exception. That is where I was trying to go with this. The definition, rule and exception mesh well in some areas and may cause a gap in others.
Does the rule need to be specifically applied for the exception to exist or do we slide over some of this because (as Steve has pointed out a few times already) there was no delay in the game.
Yeah, my long route has definitely convoluted the attempted point. Maybe I should just give up on this one and start again at a later date.
