Ball Four, in the dirt

[Rich]

Originally Posted by David Emerling

No you don't! Because you don't have over 100 baseballs to work with.

And, if you do swap balls every time it touches the ground (especially in a HS game) - I'll bet you continue using that ball 99% of the time. At worst, you slip it into the bag just to reemerge one foul ball later. Hell, half the time you don't have more than three at time to work with after about dozen foul balls into the woods.

Unless it's wet, hits the backstop, or is noticeably discolored or damaged - in a HS game - keep using it, for crissakes.

You call "time" every time the ball touches the ground?

I mean I call time as soon as the defensive coach asks for time. I don't do the "wait until the batter gets to fir.....OK, TIME" nonsense.

[David Emerling]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

I mean I call time as soon as the defensive coach asks for time. I don't do the "wait until the batter gets to fir.....OK, TIME" nonsense.

This doesn't have to be made into a big scene. It usually isn't. There doesn't need to be any melodramatic and overly officious attempt to embarrass the coach. I realize sometimes they get so excited that they want to burst out onto the field. A simple, subtle, and silent hand gesture usually conveys the message and the coach will generally slow down as he is walking out onto the field, giving the BR time to reach 1st. I subtly raise my index finger in the "just wait a sec" position and all is solved. They get it.

I'm not so anal as to require him to remain in the dugout but I do expect him to remain off the infield before the batter gets to 1st. In any case, the coach should know better. Most experienced coaches already know this and no intervention on the part of the umpire is usually required.