The Home Varsity team is losing badly in the early innings. Now up to the field pulls the JV team bus, back from their earlier game. The frustrated Home coach has the JV team come into the dugout and at the half inning replaces all his team with members of the JV.

Of course, not one JV player is listed on the lineup card.

And this would be completely legal.


Not here in Michigan. Any player that plays in a JV game is inellible to play in a varsity game on the same day.

"Not here in Michigan. Any player that plays in a JV game is inellible to play in a varsity game on the same day."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

But that, of course, would not be an umpire's call, correct?

As an umpire you would have no idea which players played, which did not and have to just believe someone's word in the end.

Of course it could be like Texas where umpires are supposed to know (somehow) how many innings a pitcher has pitched prior to the current game so you can stop him from pitching too many innings in too few days.

Probably the silliest "local" ruling that I have ever heard of . . .

If the entire JV team got off the bus, then I think it may be something I would be aware of...then again, I'm blind...that's why I'm an umpire!

But really, this should not be something that an umpire has to deal with...along with the weekly pitching regulations. These problems and resulting protests are what the conference boards are for!

We have a solution for that. The umpire's supposed to ask for the pitcher's schedules at the plate conference. And we're supposed to ask if all players present are eligible.

Apparently the thinking is that if a coach is planning on using an illegal player or pitcher, he'll let you know when you ask. Sure.

Sure, but would you know which ones had just played?