[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Manny A

We assume that calls we make that might've put a player in jeopardy may be corrected. What if the player just had a brain cramp and never really heard our call? We are not responsible for trying to figure that out; we just give the player the benefit of the doubt here, and protect him/her.

Ahhh...no, we don't. If the player doesn't hear a call, that is the player's problem, not the umpire's.

To me, the same is true with this case play discussion. We give the pitcher the benefit of the doubt that he/she was affected by the batter's action. After all, why else would the pitcher stop his/her motion? Because he/she wanted to commit an IP?

If an OF dives and comes up like a catch and a runner doesn't advance and is forced out even though the umpire is standing there giving a safe signal, do you protect that runner because her and the coach didn't realize the ball wasn't caught?

If R1 is on 2B and after a non-decisive pitch is caught, he starts walking toward 3B coach screaming at him while the catcher is standing there, with the ball trying to figure out what is going on. R2 then stops on 3B and starts laughing. Do you put him back because the catcher was confused?

I'm not saying it should never be called, but I like ASA's requirement that the umpire must believe the intent was to cause an issue with the pitcher. I do not believe it should be automatic just because the pitch may be confused.

The reason baseball pitchers are coached into continuing with their pitch delivery is to prevent injury for suddenly stopping their motion. It's not to prevent the possibility of an umpire calling a balk.

It isn't just baseball and it wasn't only to prevent injury. It is also because you never know if it was the umpire who said time, just like in softball, so you follow through with the play, just like a runner is told to not stop playing until an umpire or coach tells them to stop.

I guess I'm just surprised by your position on this. Virtually every other rule set allows for this to be a "no pitch" situation. The same should be the case in ASA, IMO.

My position is that it is a competitive game and some of the rules remove some of the character of a competitive game by making excuses and compensating for poor play and coaching.