Manager Acts Like a Dipstick, I'm Sorry to Say

[Rich]

21 innings today. 6.5 hours of fun in the sun.

I did call a balk, though. I've called my share this season, I gots to say.

LH pitcher. R1 takes off as soon as LHP lifts his leg. Magically, F1 put his foot right back in the same place that he lifted it from.

"He didn't gain distance."

The catcher asked me to check his footprints. That was funny, especially as F3 threw the (already dead once he caught it) ball into left field and R1 was now R2 regardless.

[lawump]

Umpire Schools teach umpires to keep it short and simple when explaining balks.

For example:

Umpire: "That's a balk! You second base (said to runner)."
Manager: "What did he do?"

Possible responses include:

Umpire: "No step."
Umpire: "He started and stopped."
Umpire: "No pause."
Umpire: "His leg crossed the rubber."

At higher levels (HS, NCAA, pro) this usually works. (Now they might come out and argue that your judgment was wrong (i.e. that he did pause) but at least they're not arguing the rule.)

If the coach/manager wants more of an explanation, listen to his question and answer only that.

For example, this following conversation (by coincidence) happened to me in my last high school game:

Head Coach (who has come out of the dugout): "What do you mean 'no step'?"
Umpire: "He didn't step toward first."
Head Coach: "He doesn't have to step toward first."
Umpire: "The rules require that he does, and he didn't."
Head Coach: "I've never heard that one before, huh."

The head coach left and we resumed the game. He came out between innings and I just said, "the rules require he step toward first, when throwing to first. You pitcher stepped toward home and threw across his body to first that's why it was a balk."

He said, "o.k., I got you." and left.

(edited for spelling error)

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by lawump

Umpire Schools teach umpires to keep it short and simple when explaining books.

For example:

Umpire: "That's a balk! You second base (said to runner)."

This year's attendees were taught to give the reason as part of the call instead of making the manager ask.

[jkumpire]

They taught us just to call the balk and move 'em along. But since I never got a pro job, esp. in HS Baseball I always tell kids what they did.

My call was last night: "THAT"S A BALK (Pointing at F1) TIME! (Hands UP) NO STEP TO 1B (pointing R1 to 2B)."

My partner did nothing, of course, but he is a 2nd year guy who mostly does SB. He did a decent job for a newbie.

[RPatrino]

Five words or less!!! They can't use what you DON'T SAY against you. And finally, "coach, that's enough"

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

They taught us just to call the balk and move 'em along. But since I never got a pro job, esp. in HS Baseball I always tell kids what they did.

My call was last night: "THAT"S A BALK (Pointing at F1) TIME! (Hands UP) NO STEP TO 1B (pointing R1 to 2B)."

My partner did nothing, of course, but he is a 2nd year guy who mostly does SB. He did a decent job for a newbie.

In FED the balk kills the play. "Time, that's a balk,"

In OBR the balk does not kill the play. "That's a balk...Time, that's a balk,"

[LMan]

I always say, "Thats a balk, TIME" in FED so that when I change gears to OBR in the summer, the call stays consistent (in my addled mind).

[justanotherblue]

I had a very simular play last year in a Legion tourney. LH F1, called the balk, coach wanted to argue the call, it was simple. Coach, he didn't step toward the base. Coach what do you mean. ..It's easy coach he didn't have any distance or direction toward the base, that's a balk. After I repeated he had no distance or direction toward the base several times, the light went on. Coach commented, that must be important, you said that several times! I had a hard time putting my mask on with roar of laughter within my mind! Never had to use the field lights his light went on so brightly!