nobody called timeout!!!

Originally Posted by Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

rei:

Let me get this straight, R1 is on third and you get out in front of home plate with your tuchus facing the F1. R1 comes running home and touches home while you are cleaning the plate. F1 just stands there on the mound with the ball in his hand because he does not want to drill you in the tuchus. Oh boy, I do not know if I want to be around for that fun the ensues after you tell F1's coach the that run counts. Then again, I just might tell F1 to go ahead an pitch so you truely will be a numb nuts.

MTD, Sr.

The ONLY time I call time to clean the plate is NEVER. I do not start cleaning the plate when action is still going on or has JUST ended. Usually, because I hustle and get to the spots I am supposed to be at, I have to walk to the plate, which is even MORE time to make sure all playing action is done. If when I walk up, the pitcher is on the mound with his foot on the rubber ( I have NEVER seen this in 23 years!) I would simply let play resume and call the plate I can see, if you catch my drift. I have NEVER had a pitcher try to pitch while I was cleaning the plate. IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN, and any umpire who HAS had that happen to them must have lost control of the game LONG before he needed to clean the plate, and probably lost the respect of every player long ago! While some may joke about possibly doing that, I doubt that ANY player I have umpired in the last several years would ever consider pitching while I am cleaning the plate.

If R3 decides to try to steal, I am a big boy and can see him coming and am fit enough to take a few steps out of the way before he can run that 90'. I will call the play, then probably clean the plate again, although sometimes that slide at home actually does the job for me!

Have fun doing JV.