The death of the neighborhood play...

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

. It has to be touched at some point to get the neighborhood call.

Really? I thought the point of the neighborhood play was not requiring a touch.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Really? I thought the point of the neighborhood play was not requiring a touch.

My understanding is more like Kevin's -- you might not need to be touching the base at exactly the time you've caught the ball, but touch (or make it look like you touched) the base at some point during the pivot. And, the amount of scrutiny I can give it as an umpire depends on the number of umpires and the quality of the throw.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

My understanding is more like Kevin's -- you might not need to be touching the base at exactly the time you've caught the ball, but touch (or make it look like you touched) the base at some point during the pivot. And, the amount of scrutiny I can give it as an umpire depends on the number of umpires and the quality of the throw.

My understanding parallels the part of your post I bolded. And, according to some pro instructors, the debate often is to whom they make it look like they touched the base. Actual touching, is not required.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

My understanding parallels the part of your post I bolded. And, according to some pro instructors, the debate often is to whom they make it look like they touched the base. Actual touching, is not required.

Call whatever you like.

If the infielder glides through it smoothly and well-timed and catches the ball after scraping or tapping the bag, I have an out. If he's merely near the bag with each foot or either foot, and at no time during the play touches the bag, or if he touched the bag and the rhythm of the play is disturbed by a bad throw, which becomes the reason he is taken off the bag, then I don't have an out.

That's the way I learned it from some of its pioneers way before I ever even imagined I'd someday be an umpire.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Call whatever you like.

If the infielder glides through it smoothly and well-timed and catches the ball after scraping or tapping the bag, I have an out. If he's merely near the bag with each foot or either foot, and at no time during the play touches the bag, or if he touched the bag and the rhythm of the play is disturbed by a bad throw, which becomes the reason he is taken off the bag, then I don't have an out.

That's the way I learned it from some of its pioneers way before I ever even imagined I'd someday be an umpire.

No worries. I was just interested in your interpretation, having never heard it before.

It matters not. We stopped giving the neighborhood play about five years ago.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

That's the way I learned it from some of its pioneers way before I ever even imagined I'd someday be an umpire.

Who were they, Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett?