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Old Mon Apr 28, 2003, 07:27am
CecilOne CecilOne is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: The Land Of The Free and The Home Of The Brave (MD/DE)
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I think preemptive warnings are poor umpiring and poorer game management. Issuing warnings (as opposed to reminders or directions) during pregame so you can penalize immediately ignores the rules that something must happen before the warning can be issued. It also makes the ruling a "ground rule" and so has less authenticity than a book rule, even if you don't supersede a book rule. It is also perceived as laziness or attempting to get ejections early and shorten the game.

It might be technically permissible, but calling strikes for delay in situations like this is outside the purpose and spirit of the delay rule and we are supposed to understand that. Actually, a player can be ejected for refusing an order after a no jewelry reminder is issued, but that is only to eliminate a stalemate, not to penalize a minor infraction which is being corrected.

As to "some of the umps will call the girls out", that's really ridiculous. Makes me wonder why the coaches haven't checked the rules and pointed them out to the umpires.
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