Quote:
Originally posted by Tim C
Steve:
What chance do you think there would be that a coach could possibly come out to discuss and request a reading of any of those nine rules and the two of you actually come to an answer by reading the simple words in the book?
We have been hashing the same plays around the internet for four years with sitations from JEA, J/R, BRD, "Knotty Problems", the NAPBL Manual and still have serious questions about rules that appear simple to some.
If a coach came out to argue that "the hands ARE part of the bat" and told you to get out the rule book and SHOW HIM that he is wrong, could it be done? Nope.
Even if you require a coach to "find" whatever information in the book that backs his position THEN come out to discuss it that doesn't work either.
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Actually, the point I was trying to get across doesn't deal with ME carrying a book on the field to refer to, but rather, the attitude some umpires have that they won't allow a book on the field.
I don't think it's appropriate to NOT allow a book on the field. Those are the rules the game is played by. IMO, the coach has a right to have a book and to refer to it if asking a question. Still, he better have that book open to exactly the point that he wants to question. I'm not going to page through the book with him to show him what he wants. He better
know what he wants---and that is to disprove a call---otherwise he wouldn't be there. The book needs to be ready for him to use as a tool. If not, it serves no purpose other than for him to look up and verify the decision later.
He's welcome to state what basis he has for any protest, but he better be ready to protest. I won't make him reference a rule number for his protest---just a concept. The book will serve little purpose to him unless he's got it open specifically to what he wants.
I had a Fed game this year where a coach listed his pitcher as a P/DH so that if he pulled his pitcher he could remain as a DH. It wasn't going to happen in Fed, and he was told so at the pregame. He told me to show him in the book that he couldn't have a P/DH. I told him how it was going to be, advised him I'd get my book between innings
as a courtesy to him, but we were ready to start the game without his P/DH. He grudgingly accepted that fact, and I provided him the courtesy between innnings by getting the book and showing it to him. If he wanted to continue to argue, it may have resulted in putting him on the bench and getting another coach out for the pregame. Showing him the rule was something I didn't have to do, but chose to do. Yet, I wasn't going to delay the game because of his lack of rules knowledge.
Just my opinion,
Freix