Coach yells "TIME!"

[largeone59]

In my game today, the batter had a 3-2 count. Right before the pitcher starts to deliver, a stray ball rolls across the field from outside (3rd base side) and settles on foul territory between the first base line and the dugout. Immediately the third base coach instinctively yells "TIME!" loudly as the pitcher is in the middle of his delivery to the batter. It didn't seem like anybody reacted to the call, but it was a borderline pitch that was called ball 4 by the PU.

We let the play stand and i warned the coach about doing that. The other coach wanted us to call it "no pitch" and have everybody start over.

How would you have handled this situation?

PS- Game played under FED rules (yes, i thought about using 3-3-1 o, but i felt that it didn't apply in this instance).

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally posted by largeone59
In my game today, the batter had a 3-2 count. Right before the pitcher starts to deliver, a stray ball rolls across the field from outside (3rd base side) and settles on foul territory between the first base line and the dugout. Immediately the third base coach instinctively yells "TIME!" loudly as the pitcher is in the middle of his delivery to the batter. It didn't seem like anybody reacted to the call, but it was a borderline pitch that was called ball 4 by the PU.

We let the play stand and i warned the coach about doing that. The other coach wanted us to call it "no pitch" and have everybody start over.

How would you have handled this situation?

PS- Game played under FED rules (yes, i thought about using 3-3-1 o, but i felt that it didn't apply in this instance).

Its one thing for a coach to yell "time" because he really wants "time" for game strategy purposes hoping that he can disrupt his team's opponent. But a stray ball balls enters the playing area, I think that it is best to err on the side of safety and grant the coach's request for time. In your case the pitch does not count because of the umpire's granting the coach's request for time. You even said yourself that the coach yelled "instinctively" because the was a safety issue.

MTD, Sr.

[DG]

Time was not called by an umpire. Play on.

[BigUmp56]

I'm in the same camp as DG on this one. Ball four, advance B1 to 1st and move runners up forced to advance.

The ball was in foul territory and I feel the odds of a fielder actually stepping on it are monumental to say the least!

Tim.

[bluezebra]

Stray ball in the field of play. Grant the time. Do not permit play while a loose ball is on the field. Unless play has commenced. A pitcher going into his motion is no reason to let play continue.

The base coach was within his rights to ask for time, and you were wrong for not granting it.

"Right before the pitcher starts to deliver, a stray ball rolls across the field from outside (3rd base side) and settles on foul territory between the first base line and the dugout."

PLEASE tell me how a ball can roll from outside the 3rd base foul line to outside the first base foul line, WITHOUT crossing FAIR territory. You should not have waited for the coach to holler time. You and your partner(s) should have called time yourselves. Or were you oblivious to what was happening?

Bob

[briancurtin]

Originally posted by bluezebra
Unless play has commenced. A pitcher going into his motion is no reason to let play continue.

ok, so unless a play has started, you should call time

when the pitcher is on the rubber, ball in play, he starts his motion towards home...you want to call time there. has the play of making a pitch to the batter not started yet or something?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

The key to this play is that there is a stray ball in the playing area. This is a safety concern and play should be stopped even if the ball has left the pitcher's hand. Do not wait until a player steps on the ball and breaks his ankle or leg to stop play, because if that happens you WILL be the defendent in a negligence lawsuit.

MTD, Sr.