Oh, give me a break!

[Patrick Szalapski]

Originally posted by Tim C

PARTICIPATION

The DH and re-entry are based on the need for schools to insure participation for all students that particiapte in all types of after hour activities. I don't know about youse guys but I think it is great to let kids play.

Now there are coaches that know how to use these rules t their advantage. I like that . . . if all coaches spent time learning rules then this would be an equal play not an "advantage" gained by a few.

SPEED UP RULES

There are places in the U.S. that document 7 inning games running 3 hours at average. Rules that are adopted (the infamous "stay in the batters box, kid" rule)are always INTENDED to make a game go more smoothly and hopefully faster. As an umpire -- I have always been for fast games, and fast women.

SAFETY

Before we talk about Patrick's specific play let's just say that the FED believes that the children playing their sports are fine . . . it is just that they all have ATTORNEYS!

Even I have been convinced (by Carl) that the big runner/catcher crash at home plate is NOT necessary to the game of baseball as played by non-professional players.

SPORTSMANSHIP

By the nature of FED alone the entire mission statement is to TEACH sportsmanship, fair play and team competetion. That is the mission of the organization.
....
Sometimes there are rules that in OBR are just too tough for many of the 100,000 baseball umpires that work FED ruled games during a season.
....
I have read Patrick's posts for about two years. He has always taken a position that "FED is really screwed up!" but placing that aside we need only to look at the example in the book and see WHY to is verbal obstruction:
......
I do not ask that any of you agree with FED I just point out that when you select to work under their direction the game is "different" than normal ball played under OBR.

Thanks for the good words, Tee. Believe it or not, I am warming up to FED rules; more and more, I can take many a FEDlandian oddity and understand its reasoning. I will certainly call by FED interpretation when I work high school ball. I still think defensive appeals are good, but I understand the rule and call the missed bases/leaving early as I should. I still think fake tags are meaningless, but they are obstruction.

Even so, I've got to agree with Osborne on this one. No one in the park is expecting me to make that call, I don't want to make the call, I think the call is unjust, and there's enough room for judgement in the interpretation to justify not making the call.

Besides, I look foolish if I were to assert my 1%, "educated umpire" status.

COACH: "Who told you that ruling?"
ME: "Uh, I got it off the internet?"
COACH: !...!!.!.!!!...
ME: "Yer outta here..."

Of course, in FED, I'd have to restrict him to the bench, first.

P-Sz