4 Balks in 1 at bat

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

You have to actually touch 2nd base when turning a double play That one is usually ignored.

Not in my games.

[rbmartin]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Not in my games.

Then I applaud you sir.

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

Then I applaud you sir.

OK - Halloween is over - back to baseball.

The "In the Neighborhood" play at second has come under more scrutiny lately. Here is one commentator's take:

The "neighborhood play" is an unwritten rule, which is a bit awkward in a game that has an official rulebook for umpires to follow. Would it be so difficult to create a written rule, with guidelines, for what fielders may or may not do to record an out at 2B while attempting to turn a DP? There are rules for touching a live ball with a catcher's mask, for batting out of order, and for a baseball literally coming apart while in play, but no rule for the everyday occurrence of the "neighborhood play."

So an umpire is asked to interpret the details of a rule that doesn't actually exist. Hard to get that one right.

I tend to agree. You start deviating from the written rules of the game and you're asking for trouble. Having said that - i never make a baserunner retouch his base after a foul ball. There is a line between over-officiating and simply ignoring the written rules, my earlier post was just trying to get some clarification as to where that line is.

[MrUmpire]

There is no "That Line". There are many lines. Umpires through their experience, background, and knowledge and understanding of the game, have their own line. Those who draw it most apporpriately move up and are successful. Those who don't, don't.

It's similar to Louis Armstrong's famous response to the question of "What is jazz?"

"If ya have ta ask, you'll never know."

Draw your line. As you progress you will move it one way and then the other. It'll curve to include somethings but not others. Watch, work, listen and learn and your line will be right where it's supposed to be.

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by rbmartin

Then I applaud you sir.

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

There is no "That Line". There are many lines. Umpires through their experience, background, and knowledge and understanding of the game, have their own line. Those who draw it most apporpriately move up and are successful. Those who don't, don't.

It's similar to Louis Armstrong's famous response to the question of "What is jazz?"

"If ya have ta ask, you'll never know."

Draw your line. As you progress you will move it one way and then the other. It'll curve to include somethings but not others. Watch, work, listen and learn and your line will be right where it's supposed to be.

I'm not sure that in this context comparing baseball (which has a detailed written rulebook, a lot of written caseplays, written interpretations, extensive written manuals and spectators, players and coaches always checking to see if you made the "right" call) to Jazz (where the better you make stuff up "on-the-fly" (i.e., improvise) the better you are) is entirely the right analogy. I get what you're saying, but am a little leery of taking it too far. No one wants to be "officious". Everyone should want to be "official"

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by BSUmp16

I'm not sure that in this context comparing baseball (which has a detailed written rulebook, a lot of written caseplays, written interpretations, extensive written manuals and spectators, players and coaches always checking to see if you made the "right" call) to Jazz (where the better you make stuff up "on-the-fly" (i.e., improvise) the better you are) is entirely the right analogy. I get what you're saying, but am a little leery of taking it too far. No one wants to be "officious". Everyone should want to be "official"

If you take it too far, then you don't get what I'm saying.

As you progress you'll see that the lines become increasingly similar.

[biggravy]

Originally Posted by BSUmp16

OK - Halloween is over - back to baseball.

The "In the Neighborhood" play at second has come under more scrutiny lately. Here is one commentator's take:

Got to that part and quit reading.

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by biggravy

Got to that part and quit reading.

Sorry - Too big of a word for you, my bad. Translation: "Commentator" = "Writer" (like everyone else on this forum).

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by BSUmp16

Sorry - Too big of a word for you, my bad. Translation: "Commentator" = "Writer" (like everyone else on this forum).

Wat he meant was "Commentators are clueless so I'm not reading his meaningless comments".

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by BSUmp16

"Writer" (like everyone else on this forum).

Make that poster instead of writer. On most forums, it is quite common to see such things as: "He should of went home." That's not writing.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by BSUmp16

Sorry - Too big of a word for you, my bad. Translation: "Commentator" = "Writer" (like everyone else on this forum).

You will find that the vast majority of the posters on this forum are quite intelligent, and that insulting that intelligence is very rude on your part. You are new here. You remind me of me when I was new here. Just because I had 20 years umpiring experience I thought I knew it all and nobody could tell me anything new. I soon found out that the people here were much smarter than I had given them credit for originally.