Source of a rules myth?
 

Got to call a real serious, high pressure, high stakes tournament this weekend.

Dixie 7-8 machine pitch allstars.

In all seriousness, it was fun, kids played hard and besides one coach acting like it was game 7 of the world series on out/safe calls, things went fine.

After my last game I was told by our district director that he had a protest lodged on a game at another 7-8 tournament in another town. The protesting coach claimed that a player should have been out because he slid into first base. In Dixie we do have the no head first slide rule so I asked if this was the situation and was told no, kid simply slid in at first base, feet first, legal slide, clearly safe, etc, etc. Protest was of course denied. The other coach was livid and insistent that it was a rule that you could not slide into first base. .

So..does anyone know where this myth came from? is there a rule set somewhere, maybe a form of softball or something, that says no sliding at first, or is this just something that has developed on its own accord over the years? :confused:

Add that one to the list of rules myths...I haven't heard that one in a few years. I don't know where is came from however. LL coaches are great for pulling out myths and using them as facts.

-Josh

Special place in Hell
 

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. :D

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.

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

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

Do I dare ask what the valid protest was?

-Josh

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.

Freshened that up a bit for you. ;)

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.

LOVE IT!

Back to the original post. My thought would be the myth comes from ignorant coaches who were ignorant players. When they were a wee lil lad their coach told them "You don't slide into first" This being a logical statement as you will maintain your speed while overrunning the base. Over the years their pea sized braind substituted the word don't from their coaches with the word can't and have not thought about the logic behind what their coach told them years ago.

Even Tim McCarver wouldn't say something that dumb.

bite your tongue

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?

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?"

:confused:

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

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

Get this, next week I have a Pinto Tourny (7-8 y/o coach pitch) and were working a 2 man system :D

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.

Don't laugh, we worked 2 man crews for the tournament over the weekend, $25 a game. :cool:

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

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

And you and I both know you're just stealing money at that point..... :)

How'd you get that? I don't have any games next week, after a pair of NABA on Sunday.... I must be falling out of favour.

I wouldn't be bragging about this. :rolleyes:

:p I too must admit I did a weekend tourney of coach pitch where we did two-man and got paid $25 per game! :eek::D

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."

Hey, I'm not all that proud of it myself, but I'll steal the money. I used to make $125 to $150 a Saturday without having to put on any gear. Cha-ching, bada-bing mon frer.

Hey its nice to get these games once and a while. it's almost like getting the day off from games but still being paid, and it's entertaining. Especially watching how worked up the parents and coaches get over this level of game. There are virtually on calls to be made.

You know guys, fast pitch softball has real tournaments going on. With real players and real coaches and everything. You guys could probably work your way up to the 18Golds etc after a few years.

This is just sad what you guys are reduced to once HS ball ends.

Ultimately, though: it's still softball.

I can't believe it went that long without that comment being made:eek:

-Josh

Yep, Legion ball, Mickey Mantle, Connie Mack, Babe Ruth are all not even worth working in the Summer.


Tim.

I'd rather eat lead-based paint, lick Chinese toys, and gouge my eyes out with a sharpened spoon than work softball.

FYI, Rich, ASA requires using an ice pick for eye gouging. Your evaluation will be dinged for not following protocol.

How come they don't get real umpires too?:confused:

I've always wondered that......

:D

Do I have to gouge in a particular style? Do I have to separate the gouge and the scream?

From what I've seen, I believe you have to scream first, then, with arm fully extended, icepick in hand with pointy end facing backwards, move your head rapidly forward ramming eye into the pick.

Failure to follow the prescribed procedure to the letter may result in not being allowed to gouge any more eyes in the future.

Best check with your local ASA chapter first.

Hold on a minute here...is this a Metal handled ice pick league, or a Wood handled ice pick league? Do they use the D.G. (Designated Gouger)? Are the hands part of the ice pick?:confused: :cool:

Don't forget about the Non-Approved Ice Pick List.

Welpe is right, better check the approved Ice Pick list, last i heard it was 100 pages long. And don't forget the new DG/FLEX rule.
BTW, I was asked in 2006 if I was interested in doing ASA games, I have yet to return the call.

If you buy from anyone other than the ASA, it's not approved. Thanks for the reminder.