Quote:
Originally Posted by xtremeump
F1 had the ball BR was in the batters box PU was standing on the third baseline pointing fair and no one is doing anything. You tell me how to handle it ??? I know it never happens, but this play did happen. Please tell me what you would do. I agree do not verbalize FAIR BALLS but there are things that happen that have to be managed.This was a very good Umpire and has no problem getting good assignments. I really have a hard time with the way some people on this forum think that we live in a perfect world and that there is a black and white rule or mechanic for every game. I just talked with the State Interpreter and working 5000 plus games he said he had to say "Ball is in play" does that make anyone happy ??
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With all due respect, your State Interpreter is: WRONG! WRONG! WRONG1
All rule sets, both baseball and fast pitch softball, the mechanic is the same: Point and verbalizes FOUL! And point FAIR!
Keeping pointing FAIR until someone gets it. A few years ago I had a USSSA girls' 12U fast pitch tournament game where I was the PU and the batter laid down a bunt that backspinned onto HP and stopped there. I pointed FAIR while the B/R and F2 just stared at the ball. Finally the B/R started runner toward 1B while F2 continued to look at the ball and then look at me while I kept pointing toward FAIR territory. The B/R made it to 1B before F2 finally picked up the ball and wanted to hand it to me.
Now the Defensive HC comes out and started to complain that I didn't tell his F2 that the ball was FAIR; keep in mind that not once did he yell to his F2 to pick up the ball and throw it to F3 at 1B. I told D-HC that I had in deed told his F2 that the ball was FAIR; I kept pointing toward FAIR territory. He proceeded that I was supposed to verbalize the word FAIR to which I told him no I am not. I also reminded him that
all batted balls are FAIR unless the Umpires verbally state that they are FOUL. He then told me that his players didn't know that and that I should have taken that into consideration.
I told him that no competent Umpire would do what he asked me to do and that players should be taught to play the ball until they hear the Umpires call FOUL, DEAD, or TIME. End of discussion.
Your State Interpreter needs to remember what I have highlighted in
red.
MTD, Sr.