Babe Ruth Follies

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

The mechanic on this play is often described as "The umpire signals safe ...". I think this is wrong. The mechanic should be, "The umpire does whatever he would do if the runner had touched the bag." Now, it's consistent with the runner going to 2B, etc -- we're not tipping off either side, nor calling something that doesn't need to be called.

In practice, the play at first is "close enough" that we'd normally give a "relaxed" safe signal -- so that's what we should do when the runner misses the bag.

I think BigUmp56 already gave the professional interpretation, which is the same one I use in all of my games. Why do you disagree with the authoritative opinion and accepted mechanic?

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I think BigUmp56 already gave the professional interpretation, which is the same one I use in all of my games. Why do you disagree with the authoritative opinion and accepted mechanic?

I already explained my opinion on this -- whenever a runner misses a base, we should act just as we would have acted had the runner touched the base (with the exception of a tag play at home when both the tag and the touch are missed). That way, we avoid telling either side that there was a missed base.

Some umpires get in the habit of pointing at the base (especially home) when a runner touches it. When they don't point, it tips off the defense. So we (I think all of us) would try to get the umpire to break the habit.

On a close play at first, where BR beats the throw, I signal safe. So, I'd signal safe if BR misses the base (but beats the throw).

On a not-close play at first (maybe F3 celarly drops the ball), we (at least I) don't signal safe. So, if BR misses the base, I won't change to signal safe.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by SAump

[CENTER] I cannot understand option B when the runner continues safely to 2B or 3B or home.

If the runner continued 'safely' to 2B or farther, you obviously didnt have a PLAY at 1B, so NO signal would be necessary, whether he stepped on the bag or not.

You dont have time to signal there, anyway. You better be hustling to beat him to the next bag where a play is developing.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Have you ever had one of those days when you just knew nothing was going to go right? I had one of those days all day today at a regional clinic for Babe Ruth Umpires.

It started when the regional UIC and head clinician started covering balks. He was going along alright until he mentioned that the pitcher must take his signs from the catcher while on the rubber or it's a balk. I raised my hand to explain that the rule was not to prevent the pitcher from taking signs from someone other than the catcher, but rather to ensure that he took his signs while on the rubber to prevent the quick pitch. He immediately told me that I was wrong and that if I see a pitcher take signs from the dugout I'm supposed to call a balk with runners on. Well, I didn't want to seem like an *** so I let it go.

The next item that made my head spin was appeals. We started discussing the ways the defense loses it's right to appeal, when one of the guys mentioned he had a play where R1 missed second base on his way to third. When the ball came back into the infield, F6 requested time and his partner granted time. F6 then went to the bag and verbally announced he was appealing the miss of the base. Evidently his partner rung him up immediately. The umpire in the class wanted to know if that was a legal appeal, and guess what. The clinician said it was! Again, I raised my hand and said that was an incorrect ruling, letting him know that no appeal can be made in an OBR game while the ball is dead. He asked me to show him in the rule where it says an appeal must be made during a live ball. I told him to look at 7.11 and if that didn't convince him he should look at 5.02 and then 5.11 to see how to legally put the ball back into play. He looked up the rules and still said I was wrong and that just for arguments sake he would get a clarification from BR International and see what they have to say. Like I don't know how that's going to come out already.

The next 'discussion' that got under my skin was also on appeals. One of the guys brought up the mechanic for a missed base when the runner beat the ball to the bag at first. The UIC said to do nothing and as soon as F3 steps on the bag, bang out the BR. Another umpire who I know from working HS games with said that also was incorrect. Not that I didn't know that, but it was nice to hear someone else take a stand on a bad ruling. We went round and round with the UIC trying to convince him the proper mechanic is to signal safe as soon as the trail foot passes the bag and then wait for the appeal. Try as we might he insisted it was our duty to call him out as soon as F3 received the ball while touching the bag.

We started covering obstruction, specifically type A. The UIC cited a play where R2 was being played on and was obstructed by F6. Okay, should be simple enough, or so I thought That was until he said to kill the play and if the runner had not gotten at least half way to third he is sent back to second. WTF? I've heard some coaches say some pretty stupid stuff over the years, but this stuff was coming from a regional UIC for Babe Ruth baseball. Granted this is his first year as the UIC, but that's no excuse for making these kinds of mistakes.

I hope things get better because they certainly can't get much worse.


Tim.

Arguing with a clinician at a clinic is not bright, no matter how wrong the clinician is. Shut your piehole and let the idiot blabber on. Do you expect the clinician to say, "You know, Tim, you're right. I'm wrong, everyone." ?

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser

Arguing with a clinician at a clinic is not bright, no matter how wrong the clinician is. Shut your piehole and let the idiot blabber on. Do you expect the clinician to say, "You know, Tim, you're right. I'm wrong, everyone." ?

No, but I expect him to be reasonable and allow things to be discussed. You'll notice in my post that I only pointed out one of his mistakes during the class. The appeal play was pointed out by a friend of mine I work HS game with and the dead ball appeal ruling was questioned by someone I didn't know. I don't know what we're supposed to get out of a clinic if we all just go as "yes men."
Seems like a waste of valuable time and good money if we aren't there to interact and learn something of value.


Tim.

[LMan]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

Seems like a waste of valuable time and good money if we aren't there to interact and learn something of value.

...but Lance will tell ya, if you keep this up, you'll never get the "Big Game"

...so check six!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

No, but I expect him to be reasonable and allow things to be discussed. You'll notice in my post that I only pointed out one of his mistakes during the class. The appeal play was pointed out by a friend of mine I work HS game with and the dead ball appeal ruling was questioned by someone I didn't know. I don't know what we're supposed to get out of a clinic if we all just go as "yes men."
Seems like a waste of valuable time and good money if we aren't there to interact and learn something of value.


Tim.

Some clinics are meant to give you value. Some clinics are meant to be a stage for the clinician(s). This is obviously one of the latter clinics and you figure this out pretty quickly, in my experience.

If this is a clinic where you have no future ties with the clinicians, go nuts -- argue and debate all you want. But if you're hoping for future assignments and this guy is involved, do you want to be known as "that guy?"