Fair or Foul
 

We played a game on the road the other night where the third base line ran next to the base and the first base line ran through the middle of the base. I asked the umpires if we were playing the line or the base. They said they would deal with that if it happened. I didn't know what to say. I thought they should have either given me a ruling or had the home team rake up the lines and mark them correctly.

I had this happen last year. Freshman player had duties of putting down the lines of the varsity game. However, he put both 1st and 3rd in foul territory. When I brought it to the attention of the HC he looked down at 1st and then 3rd and said "Oh, brother.... Hey Jason.. go get the rake and re-do the lines." Funny situation... and I'll bet anything, Jason (and anyone in their dugout paying attention) learned something that day.

IMO, they should have properly re-marked the lines. It's going to save an agrument should a situation arise with the incorrect lines and said ruling with the incorrect lines.

I would handle the same way when the team marks the batter's box incorrectly. Get rid of the lines. Simply use the base as a reference point.

No sense holding up the game another 15 minutes or so to get someone to draw the lines again. What if they do it wrong AGAIN. BTW I have seen it happen.

Whenever the lines are incorrect simply erase if you can and get the game going.

Pete Booth

At youth levels, just wipe out the line for 6 feet or so in front of an behind the base. Use the line where it exists, an "imaginary line" from the end of the marked line to the base where it doesn't. The angle isn't big enough to make a difference at those levels.

At HS or above, draw it in correctly.

Another topic from the same game
 

During the same game, I noticed that the opposing pitcher seemed to be taking a long time between innings to complete his warmup pitches. I did not say anything because I had gotten nowhere with the foul line discussion. Then during the JV game, they told my pitcher to hurry up and throw his pitches. I kept quiet and broke out the stopwatch before the next innings. In an inning that ended with my catcher on second base, it took us one minute and fifteen seconds (still too long). In the next half inning, it took the opposing team three minutes and five seconds to be ready to start the next inning.

Ans.

Put the watch away and concentrate on teaching the players the fundamentals of baseball, good sportsmanship, and how to beat your opponent by good hitting, good fielding and overcoming the non-important frivilous aspects of the game that take away from what your job really is, developing young players.