When can catcher request time ????

[cmckenna]

LL Minors....

If the catcher is in the box and has the ball and the pitcher is on the mound can the catcher request time and will it be granted ??

Heres the sitch...

Runner on third, keeps coming off base to try to get the catcher to chase him back or he attempts to run when the catcher is throwing back to the pitcher. To negate this we told our catcher to retrieve passed balls, get in the box and request time. The umpire would not allow time to be called until the ball was in the pitchers possession.

The rule book states (sorry dont have exact rule number at my disposal) that the umpire will not grant time while a play is on. Does the runner just doing some dancing at third mean a play is on if the cathcer is just standing in the box holding the ball and making no attempt to challenge the runner?

Having the catcher call time was the only way we could prevent the run from coming in. They were a much stronger, faster team.

Thanks for any input....

[jicecone]

Try having the pitcher come off the mound towards the plate and retrieving the ball from the catcher at a shorter distance. then as the pitcher proceed to the mound, play, fake or check the runner. Once the pitcher is on the mound the runner has to either go back to the base or go home.

Im not saying it is a perfect solution but I have seen it work many many times.