[Tru_in_Blu]

We're trying to be fair in the rates we charge this league compared to others that we work. At 9 innings, a run rule that doesn't kick in until 6.5 or 7 innings, we often need to work for another 9 or 12 outs depending upon which team is ahead.

This is a church league that emphasizes getting everyone a chance to play, allows 16 in the batting order, and is pretty loose w/ courtesy runners, taking someone out of the lineup without penalty, a courtesy foul w/ 2 strikes, etc.

So we allow them to play "their game" as their bylaws call for. We need to be careful not to chase them away to utrip or some other association, but we also want an equitable game fee for our umpires.

I do think that the 1-1 count does help speed up play, at least a little. I know many hitters that would always take the first strike, and now w/ the 1-1 count, that happens less. Another men's league we work schedules their games (7 innings) to a 1:15 time period. They have an exception to complete an inning that has started, but no new inning starts after that.

We offered a modest increase to work the 9 inning games, but had we pro-rated the increase from a 7-inning, it would have been significantly higher. Again, the concern being that we don't want to lose the league.