Babe Ruth Umpires

[BigUmp56]

I'm curious if any of you who also umpire Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken are having enforcement issues with rule 1.16. For those of you without a BR rule book here's what I'm talking about.


1.16

Babe Ruth Catcher's Mask And Throat Protector (All Divisions)

"Any player, manager or coach warming up a pitcher at home plate shall wear a mask and it's recommended anyone warming up a pitcher at any location wear a mask."


The problem I've been having is catching all kinds of grief when I insist that a coach warming up a pitcher at homeplate wear a mask. I've had two heated arguments with different coaches that say the rule says shall, and not must, so it's an option. I told the last guy that the Bible says thou shalt not steal, not thou must not steal, so he'd better consider my directive a commandment.



Tim.

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

I'm curious if any of you who also umpire Babe Ruth/Cal Ripken are having enforcement issues with rule 1.16. For those of you without a BR rule book here's what I'm talking about.


1.16

Babe Ruth Catcher's Mask And Throat Protector (All Divisions)

"Any player, manager or coach warming up a pitcher at home plate shall wear a mask and it's recommended anyone warming up a pitcher at any location wear a mask."


The problem I've been having is catching all kinds of grief when I insist that a coach warming up a pitcher at homeplate wear a mask. I've had two heated arguments with different coaches that say the rule says shall, and not must, so it's an option. I told the last guy that the Bible says thou shalt not steal, not thou must not steal, so he'd better consider my directive a commandment.



Tim.

Shall means will means must. Shall does NOT mean "may," which is what it would say if the intent was for it to be optional.

"I understand English, coach, it's my mother tongue."

[mbyron]

This is an unusual (i.e. not in all codes) rule, and so the coaches probably think you're making it up. If it is widely enforced in your area, they have no excuse. If you're the only one enforcing it, you might consider discussing it with your association before you press to hard.

You're clearly interpreting the rule correctly, but I doubt that's the real issue.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Babe Ruth is probably spinning in his grave to think that a league named after him would make a rule prohibiting adult coaches from warming up a pitcher without a mask. Talk about lame, not even the FED goes that far!

[DG]

This rule is routinely ignored at the local level in my area, and at District Tournament level. If you make it to the State tournament and beyond it will be enforced.

I got black balled by a league last year by insisting that a non-adult "coach" wear a mask to warmup a pitcher, in two separate games. They claimed he was a coach and the league commissioner approved, but he was 16 and I refused to let him warmup without a mask. The league agreed to enforce the rule with all their coaches, for non-adults, but I was gone.

It happened a week before Legion ball started so it didn't break my heart.

[BigUmp56]

At what point does this become a liability issue for us, DG? It's written in black and white that it's a requirement, so if we ignore it are we putting ourselves at risk of litigation would be my main concern.



Tim.

[BlueLawyer]

Originally Posted by BigUmp56

At what point does this become a liability issue for us, DG? It's written in black and white that it's a requirement, so if we ignore it are we putting ourselves at risk of litigation would be my main concern.
Tim.

Tim:
I think the rule is the rule is the rule. The book says it, so we should enforce it.

Can a case be made that you were negligent if you let a coach climb back there without a mask and he gets hit? Maybe. The question would be what would a reasonable umpire do under the circumstances?

Do all reasonable umpires enforce all rules to the letter?

How many of us make the base coaches stand in their respective boxes? How many fields don't even have them drawn? Or, as the OBR comment says "It has been common practice for many years for some coaches to put one foot outside the coach’s box or stand astride or otherwise be slightly outside the coaching box lines. The coach shall not be considered out of the box unless the opposing manager complains . . ." What if the 3B coach gets nailed in the nose with a foul ball when he's standing 20 feet from the box? Do I get sued for not making him stand there?

Here's my point: yeah, maybe, MAYBE you can get sued. But more important is to enforce the rule because it's the rule.

Strikes and outs!

[IceGator8]

We don't enforce it until district and state tournements.

Most of the state Babe Ruth board members are in my assoc. and they have never mentioned it being a safety issue. In fact it's been explained to me that the rule was made so that coaches would find it incovenient to warm up the pitcher. This would open it up for bench players to warm up the pitcher and help them keep their heads in the game.

I could be wrong but that's one take on it.

Eric

[nickrego]

Player's...Yes (keep an eye on the bullpen).

Adults...No (play at your own risk).

[ozzy6900]

Tim, why argue with these idiots?

"Coach, don't argue semantics with me. Either put on a mask or get out of Dodge! End of story!"

And walk away.

[pdxblue]

I always remind coaches that THEY have far more to do with what is in the rule book they play by than ANY umpire does! It is true really. Coaches and leagues influence the content of rule books, NOT umpires!

Anyway, I agree that you open yourself up to liability if you allow a safety rule to be ignored, EVEN if it involves adults. You can't let it happen. If Babe Ruth baseball wants adults to wear a mask while warming up a pitcher on the field or in the bullpen, and that is in their rule book, that rule should be enforced!

[ctblu40]

I don't work much Babe Ruth ball anymore, but when I did, we enforced this rule. The coaches never liked it, sometimes they would argue. I let them know I don't write the rules, I just enforce them. By the time we ended the discussion, the catcher is ready.

[UmpJM]

Tim,

FWIW, I'm with those who suggest "if it's a rule, enforce it".

As to your question regarding liability, I believe BlueLawyer has correctly raised the "reasonable person(/umpire)" principle which, I understand, is well-accepted in civil liability/negligence actions. (Disclaimer: I am NOT an attorney, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.)

Purely for the edification and amusement of the readers, I thought I would post an excerpt from some correspondence I had with my brother (who IS an attorney) on a similar, though not identical, question regarding baseball rules which, I believe, both amplifies and clarifies BlueLawyer's cogent commentary.

Originally Posted by CoachJM's Lawyer Brother

....
11. But I digress. The most cogent response to your question is that the law is an a$$.
12. Requiring you to follow suit.
13. Your correspondents’ warning is based on the basic principle that the sheep in the middle of the flock normally get killed last.
14. So if you follow the exact same rules as everyone else follows, how can you be criticized? Or sued?
15. Not to be misleading, of course. You can be sued for getting up in the morning. Also for not getting up in the morning. America is a great country.
16. But if you diverge from the pack, in a well intentioned attempt to protect the little dears and/or make their mothers go nuts trying to remove clay from uniforms, you will be deemed not to have behaved as a reasonable person. Most particularly by mothers.
17. Reasonable people stay in the middle of the flock, hence the appellation “reasonable”.
18. If you unreasonably increase the risk of harm to people, you may be liable.
19. This is no place for rugged individualism.
20. My Weltanschauung requires me to hope that there are no reported cases on this. What would it mean for humanity if there were???
21. Keeping in mind that only some—not all—appellate decisions are reported (not trial court cases). So humanity is likely worse off than we can know.
22. I haven’t researched it, and can’t think of anyone who would have.
23. Or at least no one whose opinion I’d be interested in.
24. Bottom line: life is full of risks.
25. Litigators are one of them.
26. In all things, do what you think best.
27. But since you’re human and might be wrong about that, carry a large insurance policy. My umbrella is $5MM, which would cover most broken legs.
28. If I had the time, inclination, and skill to be involved in things where legs could get broken.
29. Aside from representing lenders.
30. Uhhh, does that answer the question?

JM

[RPatrino]

LL has "fixed" this by not allowing adults to warm up pitchers AT ALL, anywhere on the field.

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by PWL

First of all getting into heated arguments about this is poor game management on your part.

Really? What what you suggest someone do when a coach gets upset over such a trivial thing? I have no contol over their emotions until they cross the line. Then again, I know what to do when they cross the line and will not hesitate to pull the trigger when they do.

Originally Posted by PWL

It shows you have lost control of a simple situation.

I fail to see how a coach getting all jumpy about this has anything to do with me losing control. All I can do is explain the rule and if they get upset it's on them, not me.

Originally Posted by PWL

I don't believe two coaches have used the same argument having to wear a mask. Is there a conspiracy going on?

You're probably right. Of the 80 or more Babe Ruth coaches I've encountered this season, the two that made the same argument were conspiring against me. My paranoia know's no bounds.

Originally Posted by PWL

Your little witty repertoire is uncalled for. All commandments are not laws nor in the baseball rule book. Just cite the rule and be done with it.

BTW-Stealing is allowed in baseball.

I'll take that into account the next time I need to difuse a heated situation with a little humor. Lord knows how using a little humor at times is always the wrong thing to do.


Tim.