Quote:
Originally posted by Bluefoot
Men's ASA SP game. R1 on 1B, no outs. B2 hits medium-deep flyball to left-center field. Ball is caught by F8, then R1 legally tags up and runs halfway to 2B. R1 then stops and retreats back toward 1B. F8 throws ball to F6, who tries to throw ball to F3 at 1B, but throws the ball out of play. I am PU. I've called B2 out and award R1 3B. Defensive team and coaches on bench go nuts and want to know why R1 gets two bases. Some of their comments included, "It's two bases on a throw from the outfield and only one on a throw from the infield" and also "but the runner was already going back to first". I asked them to cite the rules that they were talking about. I told them it's 2 bases on overthrows from the runner's position at the time the ball leaves the thrower's hand, and that 1B plus 2 equals 3B. They still did not get it. Then I saw the men on the bench pull out a current rule book and they shut up soon after - it was almost comical.
This same team's pitcher also could not understand why he could not quick-pitch every pitch on every batter, and why I would grant time to opposing batters who requested it. Unbelievable.
Oh yeah, almost forgot - they also believed they get 5 warmup pitches in the first inning.
How can veteran players not now the basic rules? Could it be because their games' umpires in the past have not known or not followed/applied the correct rules?
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That's usually what makes me "the worst umpire in the world" on a regular basis. Unfortunately, I always have to tell them that "last night's umpire" received a bad rating and lost games for allowing them to get away with that "stuff".
In my area, the players don't want to run out home runs, don't want to be bothered with uniforms and cry like the dickens when you ask them for a line up prior to the game. Personally, I end up wondering why they want an umpire out there since they really don't want to play the game by the rules. But make the perfect call by the book, and you are terrible because the guy last night......