Time limit games

[Rich]

Originally Posted by ozzy6900

Interesting points from all of you. Let me say that I do not agree with Rich Ives for a timed game as going by Rule Book Game Start allows the home team to perform their warm up off the clock. I don't care if you limit the pitcher to 8 pitches, he his still off the clock if you do it this way.

Remember, baseball is a non-timed sport, so if you are going to set a clock to it, everything that the teams do must be timed. Therefore, I agree with starting the clock at the end of the plate meeting is the only fair way for both teams. Now if it is a cold morning and the home coach wants a couple of more warm up throws for his prize pitcher, its all on the clock!

I don't work time limit games often, but when I do, I treat them just the same as any other game. I don't hurry people up any more, I don't limit trips to the mound (or break them up any earlier), etc. It's just a game with an un-natural condition attached to it and I do not entertain requests from other teams to speed things along just so that team can bat again.

I compromise. I give a minute after the plate conference for the home pitcher's warmup on the mound. I'm not pulling my watch out on the first pitch, so I move it ahead a minute from the end of the conference and that's the time it starts. If the home pitcher takes a bit longer, well, that part is on the clock.

[njdevs00cup]

When I work tournament ball over the summer, I do review the speed up rules and encourage both managers to appropriately plan to warm up their pitchers in between innings if the catcher is not ready.

One of the challenges I have encountered during timed tournament games is unitnentional, intentional stalling. For example a legal substitution for the catcher during the middle of an inning. How do you handle situations like that?

[cardinalfan]

Originally Posted by njdevs00cup

When I work tournament ball over the summer, I do review the speed up rules and encourage both managers to appropriately plan to warm up their pitchers in between innings if the catcher is not ready.

One of the challenges I have encountered during timed tournament games is unitnentional, intentional stalling. For example a legal substitution for the catcher during the middle of an inning. How do you handle situations like that?

I don't work timed games, but I occasionally go out to watch Jr. & Sr. Babe Ruth games at the local park during the summer.
What you described drives me insane. This is big boy baseball - 14 yr olds & up. I constantly see coaches make fools of themselves and the game by some of the silliest stall methods they can think of.

As an umpire, I don't see anything you can do unless your local assoc. has rules guarding against this unsportsmanlike coaching.