Overruling ?

[TxUmp]

I have had only one case in my 35 year umpiring career where a coach asked me to check the rule book.

Me: Coach, I don't need to check the rule book. I know the rules! I don't bring a rule book on the field with me.

He: I've got one in the dugout. Will you check it?

Me: I'm sure I got the rule right, but if you need the rule book, bring it out.

He: (After going back to the dugout) Here is the book. Show me the rule.

Me: (Opening the book to the exact page on the first try): Here is the rule. (I read it to him - in case he can't read). Now let's play ball.

To be absolutely fair to him, the ruling did depend on how the actual rule was interpreted. Fed Rule 7-3-5 - "A batter shall not . . . interfere with the catcher's fielding or throwing by . . . a) leaning over home plate.

He was coaching his players to lean over so that their entire upper body was over the plate, well into the strike zone.

He later got an intrepretation from the state rules interpreter that so long as the batter's feet were in the batter's box, the tactic was legal.

I took myself off any of that team's games, but as fate would have it I wound up calling a tournament in which that team reached the finals. I was aware of his favorable ruling, so we started the game with his players leaning over the plate. The opposing pitcher was a fireballer, who hit several batters (some of which were on called strikes). After having enough of this, I called the coach out for a conference. I told him that I was aware of his favorable ruling, but we had a safety situation and I was taking advantage of the fact that protests are not allowed in Texas. MY ruling was that he would not have his players lean out over the plate for the rest of the game. His choices were to go back to the dugout and continue with my interpretation of the rule, get ejected, or forfeit the game. He chose the first option. The opposing pitcher threw a no-hitter, and his (small) school won the tournament over the opposing (large) school.