Clearing equipment at the plate..

[Carbide Keyman]

If the opportunity presents itself to move equipment, then do it.

If it doesn't, then don't.

Am I missing something ?





Doug

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Unless you are working a beeping ball league, there is no reason to do it.

Even at the youth instructional level, you should not concern yourself with equipment during live ball action. There simply is too much going on - in the case cited, a player easily scoring from second on an outfield hit, why would you feel compelled to pick it up and hand it to him? Brownie points??? A secret desire to be loved by bat boys worldwide???

Read my last post.

For those who insist that they saw a MLB umpire once do this, I believe that they also said a member of that same group once called an out with the wrong hand. What is it they say about two wrongs...?

[Tim C]

WWTB post says it all:

I now know how he umpires.

Regards

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by voiceoflg

Say there is less than two outs and a runner on third. Easy ground ball to the shortstop. The catcher throws his mask up the third baseline a few feet. Runner comes home, throw comes home, runner has to dodge the headgear. Could interference be called on the catcher?

Interference? No, but you've got a heck of a case for obstruction.

As for clearing the bat, I'll say what the rest of you won't. Many umpires can't clear the bat because they're unable to bend over to do so. Case in point: Just watch some of the blimps working the Little League World Series. We sometimes forget that baseball is an athletic event. And the fact that some of these rotund fellows are tilting the field, well, you might was well put a Pall Mall in their mouth and set them up in a Barkalounger. Mix in a West Vest Gold, and there's no way on Earth that these guys are seeing a bat, much less picking it up off the ground.

I suspect that's the reason some here won't stoop to being a "grounds keeper" or "bat boy". They can't stoop.

[Tim C]

Hooray for kylejet!

Regards,

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

Apparently when you can't argue the point well, you need to take a cheap shot...okay T., you win.

I thought that the purpose of our beloved board was to impart knowledge and correct mistakes. T. seems to take great pride in his journalistic abilities, so I suggest a column is in order. The title "Doing the Batboy's Job" seems appropriate. I've provided the counterpoint already...what happens when you don't choose to remove a bat from the field of play? As all of us know, 'nothing' would be the correct answer. Picking up a bat when it is of no consequence, just smacks of brown nosing. Maybe you can tell us all what the penalty would be if the umpire moves the bat out of the way, only to have the ball deflect off of its new position and out of play. You could follow it up with a query about legal coverage when you slide the bat out of the runner's way, only to have the on deck batter trip on it and break his ankle; ahhh, that would be splendid reading indeed.

I never questioned what level of ball he works or how he umpires. On the contrary, I complimented him and stated that I know him to be competent. At the level of ball I work, I can ask the catcher to move the bat if it poses a problem for him or ignore it. At youth ball, you may not have that luxury and may feel the need to create more liability for yourself by handling playing equipment during a live ball situation. You know what? That would be a great summary...how do I get insurance for acting recklessly?

I have friends at the two major schools and they don't teach the umpire to do the bat boy's job. They also don't instruct umpire's to pick up the catcher's mask. Do you do that too?

[kylejt]

Originally Posted by WhatWuzThatBlue

I have friends at the two major schools and they don't teach the umpire to do the bat boy's job. They also don't instruct umpire's to pick up the catcher's mask. Do you do that too?

I thought we were talking about clearing a bat with a potential play on. If I have an opportunity to do so, I'll do it. And yes, if a catcher is fetching a foul ball at the backstop, I'll bend over, make the effort, and hand him his mask. After all, he is my new best friend. Would I teach that? Probably not. But I do it though.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by kylejt

I thought we were talking about clearing a bat with a potential play on. If I have an opportunity to do so, I'll do it. And yes, if a catcher is fetching a foul ball at the backstop, I'll bend over, make the effort, and hand him his mask. After all, he is my new best friend. Would I teach that? Probably not. But I do it though.

On deck hitters retrieve balls at the backstop. First time a catcher tries to get one, I'll stop him and tell him he works too hard to be chasing foul balls. Then I'll make sure the on deck hitter gets it.

But I will agree with one thing you said. On a routine grounder, I'll trail up to the 45 foot line and will grab the catcher's mask on my way back to the plate and toss it to him.

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

It really doesn't matter if the play is imminent or not. Actually, I'll rephrase that for clarity - if the play is imminent, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY AND WATCH WHAT HAPPENS SO YOU CAN MAKE YOUR CALL.

At some point in your careers you'll realize that while you can be friendly towards the catcher, being friends with him is never a good idea. Perception is everything when you are trying to be considered impartial. If you pick up a mask for one catcher, you now have to make every attempt to even it up and that is never a good idea for an umpire.

Come on...what is the point of picking up a bat when it isn't in the way? If it is in the way, the rule book covers what to do if the ball is deflected off of it. Are you worried about a runner sliding into it at the dish? Unless you are doing small ball, who cares? His teammate put it there and on an imminent play you don't have time to worry about stuff like that. Did the umpire grab Dusty Baker's kid during the playoffs a few years ago...no, he left it to the team and that was a hell of a lot more dangerous.

We've all laughed at the video of the small ball Smitty who manhandles the toddler who strolls to near the dish when a play is imminent. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE PLAYING EQUIPMENT AND PLAYERS WHEN THE BALL IS ALIVE. The liability is simply too great and perception is everything!

[mbyron]

Right, I think we've got it now: WWTB says clearing the bat ahead of a play at the plate is unnecessary, distracting, and wrong, whereas pro instruction is to clear the bat when there's the need, ability, and possibility to do so.

That should do it.

[Tim C]

WWTB:

No cheap shot was intended.

I meant exactly what I said:

You are a "nuts & bolts" umpire that concentrates specifically on the job of umpiring.

NO batboy will enter the play area during a play in my game. Therefore this is NOT a "batboy" issue. This is, and has always been, about clearing the bat that lies in the area of the plate.

I have no idea who you are talking with about the issue but the instructors at Evans all still teach to clear the bat.

As I noted in my original post "in the olden days" we were taught to squat and clear it through our legs. I don't make this crap up.

Regards,

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by kylejt

Interference? No, but you've got a heck of a case for obstruction.

As for clearing the bat, I'll say what the rest of you won't. Many umpires can't clear the bat because they're unable to bend over to do so. Case in point: Just watch some of the blimps working the Little League World Series. We sometimes forget that baseball is an athletic event. And the fact that some of these rotund fellows are tilting the field, well, you might was well put a Pall Mall in their mouth and set them up in a Barkalounger. Mix in a West Vest Gold, and there's no way on Earth that these guys are seeing a bat, much less picking it up off the ground.

I suspect that's the reason some here won't stoop to being a "grounds keeper" or "bat boy". They can't stoop.

That is one of the most asinine and totally bigoted things I've ever read. One out of 3 Americans are overweight.

I'm a stout fella myself. I have degenerated discs from L-2 to S-1 from a bad car wreck in 1981. I have a hard time bending, but I have no trouble reaching down to the ground to clear a bat, dust the plate, or pull weeds. Plus, I can run around a ball field just as quickly as a little skinny Nancy boy can. What you said is patently false. And I'm quite certain that any fat umpire can see just fine over his West Vest.

Big people can be athletic. Haven't you ever watched pro softball or the softball HR hitters that tour the country. These guys are very athletic. How about all the tubby pitchers in MLB. Bartolo Colon comes to mind, and there are many fatties at the F1 position all around the league.

I like what John Kruk once said, "Hey lady, I ain't no athlete, I'm a ball player."

Way too much emphasis is being placed on being thin in this society, all due to the ideal "Hollywood" perception of what a person should look like. There was a time in the not-too-distant past where a man of girth was considered handsome and even sexy. This was before the big push towards anorexia we have seen in the past 30 years.

I will say it again. I am sick of people taking cheap pot-shots at overweight people. It's the moral equivalent to making racist or anti-semitic comments, and should not be tolerated.

[PWL]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

That is one of the most asinine and totally bigoted things I've ever read.

I can run around a ball field just as quickly as a little skinny Nancy boy can.

I will say it again. I am sick of people taking cheap pot-shots at overweight people. It's the moral equivalent to making racist or anti-semitic comments, and should not be tolerated.

So taking pot shots at skinny little Nancy boys isn't the moral equivalent to making racist or anti-Semitic comments.

Would that be one of the all time ASSinine and totally bigoted things you ever read.

What we have here is an OXy-MORON........Lose the weight or deal with it.

[LMan]

SDS, one of the dumbest posts ever. "Moral equivalent of racism"


Just ridiculous.

[ctblu40]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Way too much emphasis is being placed on being thin in this society, all due to the ideal "Hollywood" perception of what a person should look like. There was a time in the not-too-distant past where a man of girth was considered handsome and even sexy. This was before the big push towards anorexia we have seen in the past 30 years.

Steve,

I consider you one of my allies on this board, so I hope you don't take offense to this reply to you're quote above.

I agree with you to a point that there is alot of emphasis placed on being thin in today's society. However, it's the reason that the emphasis is there that is the problem. What I mean to say is that people shouldn't try to lose weight in order to conform to what society deems is attractive or acceptable, instead, the goal of any diet or weight loss program should be overall health improvement.