Calling a balk on a 3rd baseman...

[DG]

Originally Posted by ElPanadero

Here's the situtation: bases loaded in the bottom of the extra inning of a 5-5 Mustang game (9 & 10 year olds). The batter has 2 strikes on him and there are 2 outs. The pitcher throws a called 3rd strike, batters out, 3rd out and the game ends in a tie.

Not so fast...the base umpire calls a balk on the 3rd baseman for straddling the foul line. One foot is in fair territory and the other foot is in foul territory while he is trying to hold the runner. The manager of the other team had already given the base umpire a heads up and pointed out that the 3rd baseman had been doing this the whole game.

Mustang is a division of Pony, which uses OBR. There are differences between OBR and other codes, but in this case the umpire in question is both wrong and being overly officious and succumbing to the suggestions of a coach of 9-10 year olds. Jeez.

If the manager had pointed this out to me I would have asked him if he was serious.