Awarded bases and appeals.

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

At my son's Toledo (Ohio) Park and Rec. League 12U baseball game I learned something new tonight.

Guess what fellow umpires?

If a runner is awarded home because the ball went into dead ball territory, the runner can go straight to the dugout without touching home because he is being awarded the base and the missing of home plate cannot be appealed because the runner was awarded the base. I asked the umpire if this was a special league rule and he told me no. That the rules of baseball do not require the runner to touch home when it is awarded due to the ball going into dead ball territory. The play did not cost my son's team the game because they lost by four runs, but the things you learn from non-registered umpires and officials.

[Marty Rogers]

Be careful what you "learn" from non-registered
umpires and officials. This is the kind of stuff
that makes life hard for umpires that know what they are doing.

Rule 4.09(a)
One run shall be scored each time a runner legally advances and TOUCHES first, second, third, and home base before three men are put out to end the inning.

Rule 7.05 (clarafication at end of rule)
The fact that a runner is awarded a base or bases without
liability to be put out does not relieve him of the responsibility to touch the base he is awarded and all intervening bases. A runner who does not touch his awarded base is at risk on appeal.

There is nothing in the rule book to support
that umpires claim.

[greymule]

I once saw an umpire call a runner out at home on a FORCE play in the following situation:

R1 on 1B, B2 hit liner over F8's head. R1 held up in case F8 made the catch, and both runners ran around the bases fairly close to each other. R1 rounded 3B and went home, while B2 stopped at 3B. Throw came in high to F2, who was standing with a foot touching the plate. R1 slid in safe (he thought), as tag was obviously late.

But PU called R1 out on force play, as B2 had reached 3B and therefore "forced" R1 at home. Coaches didn't know enough to dispute the call.

I've seen a hundred calls as bad or worse in games I've watched. How about out of the baseline when there was no attempted tag of the runner, just a fake throw?

Once a softball ump called one of my guys out for stepping on the plate as he ran to 1B after hitting a line drive through the infield. Luckily, the base ump reversed the call, but only after my batter got himself thrown out of the game. Then the other team disputed the reversal of the call, and one of their guys got tossed.

The same PU later called one of us out for stepping out of the batter's box. He thought the front of the box was at the same line as the front of the plate.

We should have a thread for "worst call I've ever seen," as long as people promise to be truthful.

[bluezebra]

Tell me again why untrained volunteer umpires are a blessing in Little League.

Bob

[Striker991]

Originally posted by bluezebra
Tell me again why untrained volunteer umpires are a blessing in Little League.

Bob

Because in smaller areas, kids couldn't play without them. What's more important here? Having a place where kids can play and learn baseball or playing exactly by the book? I agree, that whenever possible, an umpire should be knowledgeable of the rules and the game flow. But, if it means that my kid doesn't play, then I'm all for the parents doing the best they can.

I volunteered at the last minute at the opening ceremonies because they were begging for umpires. I know the game, MOST of the rules, and how it should flow. Knowing that I was inexperienced and untrained, I worked hard to learn, talked to more experience umpires whenever I got the chance, and got a hold of as much material on umpiring as I could.

Guess what? I LIKED it. Now, I want to go to clinics, camps, and conferences to be a good umpire. I want to work with the local association to become a certified member. I have been told that I am good at it, have the proper demeanor for it, and if I wanted, could become very good at it.

So, I WANT to. If any of you can provide guidance as to whom to contact, clinics to take, conferences to attend, etc. in the Portland, OR/SW Washington area I would be very grateful.

Here's your chance. If you don't want incompetent umpiring, help to train us or point us to where we can get the training. Most of us are MORE than willing to do that. We want our children to have the best possible experience when playing baseball, and, I agree, having a good umpire is important.

[David Emerling]

Originally posted by greymule
We should have a thread for "worst call I've ever seen," as long as people promise to be truthful.

I once saw a young umpire allow a batter to remain at first after hitting a foul ball.

The batter hit a slow roller down the first base line in fair territory. The runner was advancing faster than the ball was moving and he passed the ball up while racing toward first. The ball eventually rolled across the foul line, into foul territory where it was picked up by a fielder. But NOT before the batter had reached 1st!

The umpire allowed the batter to remain on first on the basis that he got there while the ball was still fair.

I was watching this game in the capacity as the head umpire at the park that evening. We always have a senior umpire assigned to the park to cruise around in order to make immediate decisions on protests and resolve any other disputes that our younger umpires have difficulty handling.

At first, I just watched with curiosity to see what would happen, intending to interject myself only if it started to blow out proportion. We don't like to bail out the young umps too soon. We want them to "deal" with the situations they create to some extent.

But, humourously, everybody (on both teams) kinda shrugged their shoulders, looked at each other, and allowed the play to stand as ruled. The kid (about 16-yrs-old) really "sold" his call. It was 100% wrong, but he had everybody at the park believing that he was correct.

I let it go. I later told the kid about it and he hit himself in the forehead with an open palm. (I could've had V8 type of slap.) I asked him, "If a batter hits a towering infield pop-up and reaches 1st before it's caught, are you going to allow him to stay there?" That's when his error sunk in.

Pretty funny, really.