[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by ronald
Mike,

I'm confused. You say Asa clinicians say it is part of the plate but the rule book says it is 17" and with black it is more than that. In addition, then you cite the clinicians guide and it says in parenthesis to empasize that black is not part of the plate but then it goes on to instruct umps to assume if it passed the black part that it passed the white part. Why assume that? It is possible that it didn't.

The clinic guide says it is not part of the plate, but is to be considered part of the plate for the purpose of the rules.

I will not call the black and will cover it up if possible when I do a game.

I am glad when I go onto a field and the black is not showing. If during a game some of it becomes exposed. I brush dirt over it when I clean the plate so it is not.

I find this as counter productive. If it's there and the sanctioning body instructs you to use it, you should use it.

The black rim should be buried or ASA should rewrite its rule so it takes that extra measurement into account. There's no point to say the plate is 17" and then say oh well lets add the black to it which then makes the specification obsolete. What happens to a manager who protests an ump. What is the ump going to base his decision on? How can you interpret 17 inches to mean 17 3/4 or whatever it is?
I understand that not all grounds crews maintain fields as well as others and so you might have to be flexible in how you call it but I will go to my grave saying black is not part of 17". That is one I can read and it does not seem to be one that allows for middling on its interpretation. It's either 17 inches or not.

A. ASA does not do field maintenance.
B. The point of considering it part of the plate is because it is easier, and obvious to all, to determine if the ball touched any part of the plate or just the black. Any umpire whose sight is good enough to reliably do so should be working for NASA so they can retire the Hubble.
C. Home plates are not manufactured to a standard. Some are beveled more acutely than others which means the width of the safety rim can vary. I've seen plates which include a white beveled portion within the 17" and I've seen plates with safety rims which are wider than an inch on each side.
D. Any UIC who has done their homework will disallow the protest.

These bases are not manufactured equally, there is no standard installation, so how would you expect anyone to produce a specific rule to encompass all? Though sometimes shown on other issues, ASA is not that arrogant or stupid enough to think they can dictate such standards involving a non-safety issue to the manufacturers and complex owners. You want a reason a sanctioning body loses participants, that would be a method to quick extinction.

You need to recognize the difference between a piece of equipment (tangible) and the interpretation of a rule (intangible).

I can see the epitaph now, "He wouldn't call the black"

Besides, isn't "Middling" down the road a piece?