Quote:
Originally posted by PeteBooth
As PU do you?
A. Enforce catchers interference by sending r3 back to third
and putting B1 at first. At this point do you keep quiet and wait for the coach to actually say Hey Blue I want the play to stand - score the run. Will you instruct the coach in any manner?
or do you?
B. After playing action has ended, call over both coaches and explain to them the situation. We have catchers interference. Do you say to the offensive coach - Coach do you want the play or the interference?
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*Sigh* It looks like I'm gonna play the harda$$ed Aussie again (grin).
At the levels I call (District League A-AA standard; State League AA standard) we really have to go with the Pro approach and enforce the interference (R3 back to 3rd, BR awarded 1st) and WAIT. The alternative is unacceptable. The "option" here is for the
Coach to decline the penalty NOT the
umpire to offer him an option. In these particular leagues (and I stress I am NOT speaking for all leagues or all levels), if we were to approach the offensive coach and offer the option two things might happen:
1. The defensive coach would 'spit the dummy', suggesting we were interferring in the course of the game to his detriment by offering an option to the offensive coach, and/or
2. The offensive coach would 'spit the dummy' suggesting we should mind our own business and shouldn't try to teach someone how to "suck eggs", only with much less carefully chosen language.
But that's in OUR leagues and at OUR particular level of play. I can easily accept what Carl and others have offered for general amateur play. The only question I have is why you would
actively offer the coach his options here [OBR 6.08(c)] and not do the same for batting out of turn [OBR 6.07(a)], or ball tampering [OBR 8.02(a)Penalty(c)]? These plays also have either an actual or an implied option for one or other coach, don't they? (grin) And before anyone starts spouting OBR 6.07(d)Comment at me, I already KNOW that the umpire can't draw anyone's attention to an improper batter. What I'm suggesting comes AFTER the defensive coach say's he's noticed a batting out of turn but hasn't specifically used the word APPEAL yet.
MY answer to this question, BTW, is that it isn't my job as the umpire to coach the coach or otherwise inject myself into the game action. Our rule book costs $AUD12.95 (about $US7.00) to buy and every one of these "options" is properly and adequately explained in there. If a coach takes on a District League or State League 1st Division side (sorry, Carl, 'team') without even reading the rules of the game, he deserves what he does or doesn't get. And that's not just my opinion but as far as I can tell it is also that of his competing fellow coaches too! Mind you, most of them gave up reading the rules 20 years ago, believing they have them all down pat, but they won't admit to that in public. If a coach says "I know I have an option here, Blue. What is it?" I'll tell him. Otherwise he's on his own.
Cheers,
Warren Willson