Adult baseball league,(38+):
Batter pops up behind home plate;as catcher settles underneath ball to make the catch,batter yells"I got it Gene,I got it Gene",with the obvious intent to distract the catcher by making him think a teammate has an angle on the ball.
Although I was prepared to call the batter out for interference,OBR 2.00 Interference (...obstructs,impedes,hinders,or confuses....),F2 made the catch for the out.
Defensive Manager wants batter ejected,citing 4.06b. I disagreed,adding that the rule was specific to fielders interfering with a batter.Manager says"what's the difference?" My response was that I didn't write the rules,and I do not "add" to the rules.

Question #1: Would I have been within the rules to have called the batter out had F2 not made the play?

Question #2: Did the Manager have a point when he asked
what the difference was?

#1. There is no rule under OBR for verbal interference. HOWEVER, if the umpire felt the closeness and/or the loudness of the voice did in fact confuse the catcher I would have an out for Interference (JEA) and an ejection under OBR 9.01(d), for unsportsmanlike conduct.

#2. Of course he had a point but as you told him it was the wrong point and dealt with a different situation but as I pointed out above you could have ejected him under OBR 9.01(d), Your choice, not his. G.

[Edited by Gee on Jul 30th, 2004 at 08:16 PM]

Q1: Yes, I think so, under 2.00 (Interference) and 7.08(b)

Q2: The difference is that the rules book prescribes ejection for one, and not the other. Now, you could have dumped the Batter under 9.01(d); but IMO, getting called out despite F2 dropping the ball is sufficient punishment. It occurs to me that one reason why ejection is prescribed for the violation by the defense, is that there really is no satisfactory "lesser" punishment, parallel to the out for interference on the offense.

This is adults right?
 

Adult baseball no way I'm ejecting anyone.Usually these games are pretty low key anyway. But even if its a high pressure situation I'm not calling that on adults.

Now I could call an out but I probably wouldn't, as these are adults.

Now LL that's different.

FED its actually a rule so we have to call it.

Thanks
David

"Batter's out! Batter, we will not tolerate unsportsmanlike actions on this field. Understood?"

I call the out, and I warn him to cut the crap. Probably not worth an EJ if it was the first incident. But you had to be there.

Re: This is adults right?
 

Actually David, for some of the Senior Adult ball I have seen, it isn't that much different than LL. The players whine more, no the rules less and are really less talented.

Thats the Adults!!!!

Re: Re: This is adults right?
 

You've got a great point. Best league I ever officiated was an Adult Mexican League.

They didn't speak hardly any English. I didn't understand what they said, and they didn't understand me.

Never had an argument and they paid good money.

Thanks
David

Once had a somewhat similar situation. F6 would cut to 2nd behind R2 and yell "BACK!!". R2 would dive back into the bag. After watching this happen twice, called time, conferenced with F6 and his manager. Told them both that if it happened again I would call INT and award 3B.

Didn't have anymore trouble. Did however hear that other ump's had the same problem. This was a Junior (13-14) League division.