Hmmm,

In my extremely limited experiece umpiring, I have observed that the only times I dust the plate are:

1. At the beginning of each and every half inning, whether the plate is "dirty" or not.

2. When a manager or catcher requests time to talk to the pitcher (after I have granted it), again, whether the plate is dirty or not.

3. When the catcher or batter asks me to (I call "Time!" first), when the plate is dirty.

4. If the catcher gets "nicked" by a pitch and I feel he might need a moment to gather himself. I call "Time!" first (whether the catcher asks or not & whether the plate is "dirty" or not).

The rest of the time, I don't really seem to care whether the plate is dirty or not. After reading nickrego's dreadful little tale, I don't plan to change my practice.

JM

# 5 - After a play at the plate. Sometimes we need a shovel though.



Tim.

#6 - when the catcher (and/or possibly the batter) needs a private "talking-to". You know what I mean.

# 5 - After a play at the plate. Sometimes we need a shovel though.

Been there, done that. Someone needs to invent a device that pops out of the ground, cleans the plate and then retracts. Happens a lot when you get a 15-14 game.

How does this follow from what Garth said. This is how flame wars get started. Just because Garth or anyone for that matter, doesn't agree with you (get your joke) doesn't therefore imply that he has no sense of humor.

While your intentions on this play were good. You violated the rules in an effort to fix a messy situation. None of the post to that point were ad hominem; they were all strictly based on your misapplication of the rules.

In a related point; I had a game last nite where the Coach thought it was ok warm up the pitcher.

After advising him that it was not ok to do this, he replied, "the last Umpire we had told us to get out there and get the pitcher warmed up, we have a game to get underway [words to that effect]".

This Umpire also advised him that balks would be enforced, no warnings.

This was LL Majors.

Sorry for piling on but it cannot be stressed too much: Don't leave a mess for someone else to clean up. :mad:

I'll add my pennies worth as to how this can hurt. U15 game, I have the dish, my partner nearing 75 or more, can't move, R1, R2, gets hit with a line drive while in C. As I'm yelling time, umpire interference both runners come across the plate. As the dust settles and we check my partner to make sure he's still breathing, I replace the runners on base. The offensive coach is screaming because he lost two runs, saying...umpires are part of the field and his runs count. Doesn't matter, well, yeah it does! Better yet, had three games that day with him. He got hit the next game also! Same results.

And in a varsity FED game last night, I called a balk on a pitcher who stepped off with the wrong foot. The response I got was "What? Don't we get our warning first?"

How does one "balk" in LL majors anyway? I thought the runners could not leave till the ball crosses the plate? I don't do that level of ball, so this is a serious question.

There aren't any balks at that level, just illegal pitches. There used to be balks but LL took them out of the LL rules, which I think was a good move.

You are out there to apply the rules correctly, not make stuff up to make the coaches happy.

I'm still trying to figure out how he got run over by a runner coming home from third after making a call at first. How are you anywhere near the 3B line? But then again, it's all just funny......[/QUOTE]


You're exactly correct! When towns start paying for two umpires, the calls will be made correctly, in the correct position. A one man show is instinctive umpiring. There are few mechanics, other than anticipate where the play should go. With nine year old rec. ball, where you anticipate is not always where the ball ends up.

The insightful catcher (JV) I had the other day suggested that catchers carry a plate brush!

Because in one-man mechanics, you don't go into fair territory when there are runners in scoring position on batted balls until all runners except the BR have scored. The proper mechanic on this ground ball to the infield is to move in foul territory toward third away from the foul line a bit, so stupid old R3 doesn't run into the umpire and start crying. You get an angle for the play at first, while watching R3 touch home plate. You never go into the infield and turn your back to the lead runner.

When did Little League majors have balks? It must have been before 1968 when I played, because they sure didn't call balks then. I have been umpiring since 1986 and know of no such balk rules, only illegal pitches. What was considered a balk, since no lead-offs have ever been allowed at that level? I mean, just who is the pitcher trying to illegally deceive?

When I was playing Little League in the early 90's there were balks called and when I started umpiring in '97 (at the tender age of 13), balks were in the rule book. I remember one game where my partner and I called a combined 4 balks against one pitcher over the span of a couple of innings. If I remember, it was for the pitcher failing to pause while pitching from the set with runners on base. That was a crappy game and I learned a couple of good lessons there.

I remember a few years later when they changed the rules (I want to say that was '99 or 2000) because it was a big deal during our pre-season umpire meetings.

That said, you're right, there is no point in having the balk rule at Majors or below and I'm glad they did away with it.

exactly!
 

Very good practice. One of the things that I cannot stand is watching a game when the umpire continually delays the game to clean the plate when its not needed.

The times that you mentioned, the plate can be cleaned unnoticed by anyone, and the game is not delayed at all.

Thanks
David