I Have Never See This Actually Work...
 

So I'm working a two-umpire system on the bases last night. Two local Men's teams (who, as is usual with local teams, are huge rivals) are playing. The home team is up by one run in the top half of the last inning. The visitors have runners at first and third. On a 1-0 pitch, R1 steals 2nd with no throw from the catcher. I don't even turn around as there was no throw from the catcher. As the R1 trots into 2nd base standing up, I hear the 2nd basemen quietly say to R1 "Relax dude. Foul ball." R1 then begins retreating back to 1st, and as this happens, they get R1 in a rundown and quickly tag him out before R3 has any chance to score. The visiting team was irrate and many were yelling "Bush" at the 2nd basemen. (I happen to agree with their stance on this kind of bullsh*t) I can't wait until their next game when the
2nd basemen will undoubtedly take a pitch in the ear.

Any thoughts?

My thoughts are: verbal obstruction by F4. Since R1 had reached second base before F4's obstruction: Award R2 home and R1 third.

MTD, Sr.

No verbals in OBR.

Really? Senior Men's? We're not going to put any responsibility in the lap of a runner to know whether or not the batter swung at the pitch, let alone actually hit the ball foul?

I would agree with you at some youth level, but not in this game.

"and many were yelling "Bush" at the 2nd basemen"

You sure they weren't yelling at R1?

I would a been.

Since when does a player call foul ball?
Since when does a runner who's acquired a base leave it unless an umpire tells him too?

Don't know what rules you're using, but for Adult Men's, I bet it was some form of OBR. Play on.

I would probably let offensive team have a little bit more leash in the words they used to describe F4, ala whoever U3 was last year when A-Rod pulled the "I got it" on the Jays F5.

What is legal always isn't right, but morality is not the umpire's job. Legality is.

Yeah, you are correct. I rarely work games using OBR, and definitely not players of the over 18 age group. But under NFHS I would have been correct. :D

MTD, Sr.

R1 is an idoit and should be called out .... ok maybe thats not a rule but seriously a little game awareness wouldve solved that.

Tell him not to rub it. ;)

Yeah next game make sure you bring a lawn chair and note-pad so you can start taking numbers when the benches clear.

This is an adult mens league game otherwise known as the whiners / cryers league.

When these 2 teams play again it's most likely riot time so

1. Make sure you get paid at the plate
2. Hopefully it happens in inning one/two
3. sit back and take numbers
4. If it's inning one/two -easy pay-day as there will be no eiigable players left

Pete Booth

Alls fair in love, war and baseball:D

I thought that was the BMW League..... B!tchers, Moaners and Whiners League