Clearing equipment at the plate..

[Snorg]

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.

[SanDiegoSteve]

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.

[LLPA13UmpDan]

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

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by Snorg

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.

what an idiot coach

[nickrego]

Originally Posted by Snorg

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.

That coach must have lost a lot of games.

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

WHAT A LOSER !

[PWL]

Originally Posted by nickrego

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.

[bobbybanaduck]

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.

[lawump]

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.

[Dave Hensley]

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.

[voiceoflg]

Originally Posted by Dave Hensley

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?

[Tim C]

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,

[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.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Dave Hensley

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.

For all the folks after this original post, I do clear the bat when possible and necessary. Dave was making an analogy to my comment about replacing bases.

Once I picked up the bat and had it in my hand as the play at the plate happened quickly. I watched the play, tossed the bat, and punched the runner out. Way cool.

[DG]

I can't remember the last time I didn't have time to clear a bat that is clearly in the way of a runner. If not in the way I don't worry about it.

I always taught my catchers (including my two sons) to wear their mask on plays at the plate. Why remove your face protection? Someone might want to run into you. The only time to take it off is on popups then hold it in your hand until the ball is located and toss it away from the direction you have to go to get the popup.

[chris21]

I boot the crap outa it, lets get real here.....F2 likes to keep his mask on the ground to blast the runner, not with me. Not too hard to handle this crap.......