Clearing equipment at the plate..
 

Just curious......What is your opinion about clearing away equipment (bat, catcher's mask) when there is a potential play at the plate? Is it the on-deck batter's job? Does the level of play and age of players enter into your decision? Do you always do it? Never do it?

My college coach taught his catchers to toss their mask about five feet up the 3B line, so that incoming runners would have to avoid it during their slide.
It's been a few years since I've been on the field, but I do not remember ever clearing away equipment. If I did, I just don't remember.

I was taught that if the bat is in the way (of the runner coming home), and I have the time, to clear it. Your plays always come first. If I have no play and I'm just waiting for the ball and runner to arrive, I give it a "foot wedge" scoop kick, while keeping my eyes on the baseball. I don't bend over to pick it up. If I don't have the time, I just tell the runner to "watch out for the bat," if there is no play on the runner.

I always do it if its in the way. If i have time to that is... :o

what an idiot coach

That coach must have lost a lot of games.

But even if he had a 100% winning record...

WHAT A LOSER !

Yeah, it gotta be one hellava detour to slide around one of them there hockey type masks. Especially with some of the big ole' noggins some of dem ole' back catchers got. Right ma. Right pa.

does it need to be cleared out of there? i.e. is it in the way?

is it within your reach?

is it possible for you to clear it out of the way without infringing upon any of your other responsibilities?

if you answer "no" to any of these questions, leave it there. if you have three yeses, clear it out of there.

They actually taught at the UDP (PBUC) camp to clear the bat away if you had time. We were taught to bend over (while keeping our head up to see the action on the field), and with our right hand (since our mask is in our left hand!) slide the bat between our legs. In otherwords, like a football center, we "snapped" the bat between our legs, only instead of snapping it up into a quarterback's hands, we just lift it a few inches off the ground and give in a little chuck backwards. (Note I said "a little chuck". That is: enough to get it out of the way, but not enough that it goes flying into a dugout or on-deck circle.)

Personally, I think its kind of cool when a batter hits an easy stand-up extra-base hit and an R2 or R3 is able to trot home, to pick up the bat, if its in the way, and hand it to the runner as they trot by to score.

Of course, I have to be absolutely sure that the runner is going to make it home trotting...I've never seen it, nor have I ever come close, but it would be awful to have a runner slow up to take the bat from me (or any home plate umpire) only to have him thrown out at the plate.

I don't know, maybe that is an advanced mechanic and I shouldn't do it, but I do. If y'all want to get all over me, that's fine.

Just as Rich posted elsewhere that he's not a groundskeeper, I am not a bat-boy. Unless the bat is right on the line and there is time to clear it, I never touch a bat. It's a pet peeve of mine to see umpires playing bat boy, picking up bats and taking them over to the dugout after an inning change, and the like.

If a catcher is deliberately placing his headgear on or in front of the plate, I will kick it out of the way. Hard. To the backstop. I've never had to do it more than once in a game.

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?

~Sigh~
 

Many, many great coaches (managers) have taught catchers to toss thier mask into the base line hoping to cause a runner to break stride. Does it work? Doubtful.

I am firmly behind clearing the bat. If done correctly it is a simple task that allows the UMPIRE less to worry about during a play at the plate.

Rich and Dave have continued their position consistently over the years and I respect that -- when you go to a professional umpire school you're trained and expected to clear the bat -- after awhile it simply becomes second nature.

I would never consider "even thinking" of attaching a penalty to the placement of a mask . . . it would make me rival Kreskin in knowing the "intent" of F2.

Regards,

Very true.

I always clear the bat if there is time.

When clearing a bat, make every attempt to use lawump's method. As an extra, try to grasp the barrel when sliding the bat away as the bat will be less likely to flip into the air.

I am with Dave on becoming a bat boy as well. After the third out of a half inning, I get up the line and stay there. I try to stay as far away from the dugouts as possible, taking a bat over there seems like it would only invite comments from the rats.

Three things to consider when or if you're going to clear the bat:

Is is Necessary?

Is it Accessible?

Is it Possible?

The acronym (sp?) is N.A.P.

As far as actually clearing it, law ump described it best, although we just slide it on the side of our body rather than through our legs.

I will only move a bat if I am in the vicinity. If the bat is up the line and I need to be TBLE then forget it - not my job! If I do move it, I just slide it with my foot into foul territory as far as I can. Why my foot? I just don't feel like bending over! But in most cases, the catcher keeps his "house" clean!

I also, am not a bat boy between innings. To be honest, the only time that I touch the equipment (other than the baseballs) is to pick up the catcher's mask if I am near it. He protects me so I don't mind picking up his mask.