Deja vu

[cb33]

In my first post on this board a few weeks ago I asked the question of whether or not to over rule the HP umpire on a hit batsmen. The play in question was a ball in the dirt that struck the batters foot. He ruled the pitch a ball and did not award the batter first base.

This past weekend I was working 10u USSSA with the same umpire again. Roles reversed this time. I was the PU and he was the BU. R1 on first base, BU in B position. Pitcher delivers pitch in the dirt, B2 jumps up and is hit on the foot. I give dead ball signal, HBP, and award batter 1B.

Defensive coach comes out and argues it's a dead ball. I ask him why he thinks it's a dead ball, and he says because it hit the ground first. I explained to him that does not make the ball dead. By this time the BU had come in to listen to the conversation and the coach asked him his opinion on the play. He looked at both of us and said it's a dead ball, RI should return to first and B2 should be back at the plate with a count of 2-1.

I immediately said that my call was going to stand, if coach wanted to protest it would cost him $100, and we would get the tournament director to rule. He protested the call and we got the tournament director to handle the situation in question after explaining what initial call was.

The director upheld my call and the defensive coach was highly upset at BU for costing him $100. Needless to say after the game I spoke with the BU and the Tournament Director and told him I would never call games with this BU again. It's funny sometimes how things work out, with these so-called experienced umpires that work FED & D-3 games.