nobody called timeout!!!

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Daryl H. Long

2007-08 Umpire Manual. Page 19, #26 refers to the time when the umpire cleans the plate as "stopping play". A synonym of that phrase would be "suspending play".

Rule 2-1f. Time shall be called by the umpire and play is suspended when...the umpire suspends play for any other cause, including an award of a base after an infraction, or for inspection of the ball.

For any other cause includes cleaning the plate.

And the rule is clear...time shall be called. It is not an option

This is not clear, Daryl. I am not suspending play. I am merely clearing the plate.

Before you come back with something like "would you let the pitcher pitch," let me say that the answer is no, just like when I'm clearing a bat or waiting for a batter to get set in the box. Good umpires don't hold their hands up and suspend play while a batter is digging in. Why is this different?

For any other cause could include 200 other things that I want to make up, too. It's a catch all that provides support for the umpire to call time IF HE WANTS TO. It certainly doesn't say that it's required to do it if play isn't suspended. Cause a 2 second sweep of the plate is not suspending play, not in my world.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

This is not clear, Daryl. I am not suspending play. I am merely clearing the plate.

Before you come back with something like "would you let the pitcher pitch," let me say that the answer is no, just like when I'm clearing a bat or waiting for a batter to get set in the box. Good umpires don't hold their hands up and suspend play while a batter is digging in. Why is this different?

For any other cause could include 200 other things that I want to make up, too. It's a catch all that provides support for the umpire to call time IF HE WANTS TO. It certainly doesn't say that it's required to do it if play isn't suspended. Cause a 2 second sweep of the plate is not suspending play, not in my world.

Cleaning the plate is most definitely a suspension of play, because the defensive team cannot pitch the ball.

MTD, Sr.

[tcarilli]

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

Cleaning the plate is most definitely a suspension of play, because the defensive team cannot pitch the ball.

So, if I understand you correctly, in instances where the defensive team cannot pitch; the ball is dead. Thus, again, if I understand you correctly, the ball is dead after a batter strikes out and another batter is coming to the plate because by rule the pitcher cannot pitch during that lacuna. I hope I don't understand you correctly.

[Daryl H. Long]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

This is not clear, Daryl. I am not suspending play. I am merely clearing the plate.

Before you come back with something like "would you let the pitcher pitch," let me say that the answer is no, just like when I'm clearing a bat or waiting for a batter to get set in the box. Good umpires don't hold their hands up and suspend play while a batter is digging in. Why is this different?

For any other cause could include 200 other things that I want to make up, too. It's a catch all that provides support for the umpire to call time IF HE WANTS TO. It certainly doesn't say that it's required to do it if play isn't suspended. Cause a 2 second sweep of the plate is not suspending play, not in my world.

Finally, someone has responded to my rule citations. I agree it is a catch all phrase which leaves it open to abuse. I respect your decision to not include sweeping the plate. Respect because we are both making a decision by considering a rule and either accepting or rejecting certain optional parameters to come to our decision.

I cited instructions from 2008 NF Umpire Manual pg 19 #26 entitled "Keep the plate clean". The wording involved says to minimalize when you clean the plate to keep the game moving and I believe we both agree to that. I think we can both agree also that a bigger abuse would be an umpire who calls time 50 times a game to sweep the plate.

While I do call time to sweep the plate I can assure you that in 27 years of umpiring I only do so maybe 3 times a game and always only when th plate has become completely covered or near so. Sometimes I just use my foot to quickly dust the plate as I walk by it (whch is becoming an accepted practice). I do not call time to do that nor do I turn my bck to players. The rest of the time I use the natural dead ball times to clean the plate.

I agree with you in the other situations you described above that time should not be called. But in those situations I can do my job and not turn my back on a live ball. The proper mechanics stated by umpire manual to clean the plate does make me turn my back to players and therefore I briefly declare ball dead.