Source of a rules myth?

[danreeves1973]

Originally Posted by mikebran

There is a special entrance to the gates of HELL for anyone who ever PROTESTED a 7 year old baseball game. I wish I could see it... Peter at gates of heaven, NEXT... guy walks up, staff going over life.. ok, seems fine, no major problems.. WAIT! WHAT'S THIS? You PROTESTED a 7 year old baseball game? Off you go to ETERNAL DAMNATION and HELL FIRE!

Anyway.. I'm pretty sure that's the way it goes...

It'll be a crowded line.

I was tournament director for our local league a few years back when we hosted a T-Ball allstar tournament, all 5 and 6 yr olds. In the course of 4 days we had 7 protests lodged. One was valid and accepted.

[RPatrino]

The beginning of the problem as I see it is "T-BALL All-Stars" in the first place. Give me a break!!

[LMan]

Another myth is that the world needs machine-pitch All-Star tournaments.

[Welpe]

Originally Posted by LMan

Another myth is that machine pitch needs umpires.

Freshened that up a bit for you.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by LMan

Another myth is that the world needs machine-pitch All-Star tournaments.

I don't know about that. We have them out here (Pinto League) and some of these kids can really play some ball. Their All-Star games are usually very competitive and even exciting to watch/umpire. Many Pinto All-Stars go on to be standout HS players later on.

I think machine pitch is much better than coach pitch or heaven forbid, kid pitch at this age, as the kids get to see much more consistent pitches to help groove their swings.

And the coaches are often real butts, but aren't they all?

[TussAgee11]

To be fair, I actually had a 18 year old F3 ask me last week, after a steal in which I banged out R1 (kid never slid, little bit hesitant on the new rubber astroturf stuff, but I digress), "He was out because he didn't slide right".

At first, I thought he meant if the kid had sliden he might have gotten in there. I replied "Guess we'll never know...".

He replied, "No, its a rule right?"

[ODJ]

Like players and coaches read the rules? 5-6 yr. olds can't read anyway, they're excused, but for the rest of them....

[aceholleran]

31 years of LL, and have never seen this "mythconception." Now if you are talking about, "batter-runner must turn to his right when over-running 1B," this one is still rampant. Came up last week.

T-ball all-stars? That can't be serious. I see no need for officials, period, at that level.

Harrumph.

ace

[waltjp]

I believe a lot of the myths are a result of silly local league rules. Players and coaches grow up with these rules and believe them to be the official rules.

[David B]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

To be fair, I actually had a 18 year old F3 ask me last week, after a steal in which I banged out R1 (kid never slid, little bit hesitant on the new rubber astroturf stuff, but I digress), "He was out because he didn't slide right".

At first, I thought he meant if the kid had sliden he might have gotten in there. I replied "Guess we'll never know...".

He replied, "No, its a rule right?"

Exactly, had the same question the other day in a HS tournament. Guy makes great play sliding under the tag by F3 on a bad throw.

F2 asks, "can he slide at first?"

Never cease to be amazed and realize as we all know, coaches don't teach the fundamentals anymore.

Thanks
David

[JJ]

I really, really hope the coach that lodged that protest doesn't just figure that he got screwed - that he gets educated as well. It's one thing to say, "Protest denied". It's another to say, "Protest denied because there's nothing in the (appropriate) rule book to prevent sliding into first base."

JJ

[Adam]

Originally Posted by TussAgee11

To be fair, I actually had a 18 year old F3 ask me last week, after a steal in which I banged out R1 (kid never slid, little bit hesitant on the new rubber astroturf stuff, but I digress), "He was out because he didn't slide right".

At first, I thought he meant if the kid had sliden he might have gotten in there. I replied "Guess we'll never know...".

He replied, "No, its a rule right?"

Way back in my playing days, after I stole 2nd, F4 asked the ump a similar question. The throw beat me by 3 steps, F4 catches the ball and lays the glove on the ground. Rather than slide into the glove, I just slowed down and stepped over it onto the bag.

"Safe."

F4: "Doesn't he have to slide?"
Ump: "He avoided the tag."

[jdmara]

Originally Posted by danreeves1973

It'll be a crowded line.

I was tournament director for our local league a few years back when we hosted a T-Ball allstar tournament, all 5 and 6 yr olds. In the course of 4 days we had 7 protests lodged. One was valid and accepted.

Do I dare ask what the valid protest was?

-Josh

[danreeves1973]

Originally Posted by jdmara

Do I dare ask what the valid protest was?

-Josh

If I remember correctly the BU called R1 out when a batted ball hit R1 going to second AFTER the ball had gone between the legs of F3 who tried to catch the grounder and missed. Coach protested it, call overturned and R1 put back on second.

Again, I have slept since then.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by danreeves1973

It'll be a crowded line.

I was tournament director for our local league a few years back when we hosted a T-Ball allstar tournament, all 5 and 6 yr olds. In the course of 4 days we had 7 protests lodged. One was valid and accepted.

Umpires for 5 and 6 year olds, huh? I can imagine what the game fees are for that. I'd rather gouge my own eyes out with a pointed stick than umpire something like that or even watch someone umpire something like that.

It will be a crowded line, for certain.