warm up pitches

[Benchcoach]

Tournament with 2 hour time limit played under Fed Rules. Late in game home team up by one run. Catcher for home team makes 3rd out. Home team takes field. No one comes out of home dugout to warm up pitcher, even though other players and coaches are available. Pitcher throws with F4. Catcher puts on gear then goes to water cooler and gets a drink, obviously more than 1 minute has elapsed. Catcher walks from dugout to position. (Real Bush League stuff). Umpire gives pitcher 4 warm up throws with catcher. Curious how others might have handled.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Benchcoach

Tournament with 2 hour time limit played under Fed Rules. Late in game home team up by one run. Catcher for home team makes 3rd out. Home team takes field. No one comes out of home dugout to warm up pitcher, even though other players and coaches are available. Pitcher throws with F4. Catcher puts on gear then goes to water cooler and gets a drink, obviously more than 1 minute has elapsed. Catcher walks from dugout to position. (Real Bush League stuff). Umpire gives pitcher 4 warm up throws with catcher. Curious how others might have handled.

The next inning starts when the third out happened. If it's late, they're only playing one more inning anyway. I wouldn't sweat it.

Would the catcher have done the same in another inning after making the third out? If so, why should he hurry now?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by Benchcoach

Tournament with 2 hour time limit played under Fed Rules. Late in game home team up by one run. Catcher for home team makes 3rd out. Home team takes field. No one comes out of home dugout to warm up pitcher, even though other players and coaches are available. Pitcher throws with F4. Catcher puts on gear then goes to water cooler and gets a drink, obviously more than 1 minute has elapsed. Catcher walks from dugout to position. (Real Bush League stuff). Umpire gives pitcher 4 warm up throws with catcher. Curious how others might have handled.

As soon as F2 takes his position behind HP, I am calling (in a louder than normal voice): "Batter Up!"

MTD, Sr.

[Rich]

I do not expect teams to hurry any more than they did in previous innings just cause the time is late. But we don't get to this point, cause I keep things moving in earlier innings, so I'm just being consistent.

I hate time limits -- both as an umpire and as a coach. I have not once manipulated the limits this summer coaching. But I've said something to an umpire who was letting a team obviously try to stall out a win in the last inning. They failed -- we got the third out and won in the last inning.

[Benchcoach]

Agree with not sweating it. When parents began to complain we used it as a teachable moment. Asked players if they wanted to be the team that didn't hustle out of the dugout. Also didn't blame F2 much, it was hot. Disappointed in coaches since they made no effort to help F1 to warm up and figured they told F2 to delay. Funny thing about those kind of tactics is that is what is remembered. Everyone remembers how they tried to delay instead of what they did to be up by one run.

[charliej47]

Rules are there to be enforced not disregarded!

Time limits were known at the start and should be enforced at the end.

[CT1]

I encourage teams to have "somebody warm up the pitcher." If they refuse, I tell F2 to "throw it down" on the first warm-up pitch from the rubber, regardless of whether we are under a time limit.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by charliej47

Rules are there to be enforced not disregarded!

Time limits were known at the start and should be enforced at the end.

If you haven't been enforcing them all game don't start in the last inning.

[foodadd]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

As soon as F2 takes his position behind HP, I am calling (in a louder than normal voice): "Batter Up!"

MTD, Sr.

I also called same as you!