Retouch base after foul ball
 

Was watching a high school baseball game here in Wisconsin over the weekend. Crazy scenerio occurred to end the game. Score is 2-1 home team in the lead top of the 7th. Bases loaded one out. The batter hits a long foul ball down the right field line. All 3 runners are tearing around the bases when the home plate ump yells "foul" runners return to their bases. After the next pitch which was a ball low the base umpire comes flying in toward the plate and calls 2 of the baserunners out for failing to retouch their respective bases following a foul ball. What a weak ending to this exciting game. Is this correct? Is there a rule that supports doing this?

The rule does state that runners will retouch their bases after a foul ball, but it is accepted practice to accept a runner "near" his base to have touched.

This umpire must have been a putz!

How did the protest go?

8-2-2 The umpire will not make the ball live until the runner returns to the appropriate base.

Guess who blew it - not the runner. And there's no penalty specified.

ALSO, in any event any missed base or failure to tag is an appeal by the defense. The umpire cannot initiate it on his own.

AND, no appeal can be made after the next pitch or play.

Bottom line: BLOWN ROYALLY!

No protests allowed in HS games in Wisconsin. So not very well, I'm guessing.

OP, where was this game? Can you post the location or send me a PM?

Wisconsin??

Can't help but wondering if the base umpire works basketball as well. :eek:

The only time this should ever be enforced, and is the purpose behind the rule, is when the runners intentionally linger and don't go anywhere near their base, and are trying to gain an advantage by getting closer to the next base without being detected.

The trick is ... it's really a completely unenforceable rule. They can't be out until the ball is live... but the ball can't be live until they return.

That's why the BU has to observe the runners get close to the base. I turn around and watch R2 until I feel he is close enough, then I turn back around and forget about him.

Plays that give umpires a bad rap.. Horrible umpiring by PU and BU. This should never happen in a baseball game.

Thanks
David

Ok, I vote for the stupidest call by a baseball official. That would definetly be his last game here. And to have his partner go along with it.:eek::eek::eek:

These were not officials. Clowns come to mind. But I think you would need the whole background of umpiring in this area. Might be willing canon fodder put out without proper training.

Eerily quiet from RichMSN. Hmmmmm. :rolleyes:

Wow. Poached big time.

I've always heard that the rule is to prevent runners from taking 89-foot leads. Which makes me wonder what this literal-minded ump would say if the runner quickly retouched and then assumed an 89-foot lead before PU calls "play".

I'm here. You can probably tell I'm not posting as much as I used to. I have my reasons (they have to do with working a different level in one of my sports and being told it's probably not a wise idea to continue to post in such a recognizable manner).

No idea where this was -- I'd love to know. No protests at all in HS games in WI, so that line of thinking is irrelevant. I don't think lack of training and over-officiousness is only a problem in Wisconsin, though. These types of things happen everywhere. For example, remember when an umpire cleared the stands during a HS baseball game in Iowa?

Back to lurking. I'm still reading and can still get PMs, etc.

Reminds me of the umpire I saw call a runner out because his jersey was not tucked in....:(

Maybe it was the same dude!

Ahem,
 

Remember where we are in Wisconsin and assigning:

Officials develop their own schedule. That means they go to schools to "sell" their crew and get games.

Also remember as little as two years ago three plate umpires working State Championship games wore rafts.

Nuff said.

T

All I can say is that this has to be a bush association. An umpire of this caliber should not be anywhere near a HS game (or any game for that matter). These Rubes get hold of a rule and make it there mission to see it violated having no understanding of its purpose.

I am seething thinking that these guys are out there making these calls. I don't care if there is a shortage of umpires, you are better off one man than with this guy.

And I'm sorry; if I am the plate guy I am throwing this Smitty under the bus. I want him dead and buried (figuratively of course :rolleyes:)

Associations? There are no assigning associations in Wisconsin. Games are assigned by league to individual crews of umpires. I work 90% of my HS games with the same partner. We also work college games together.

Not everyone here sucks. There are some really good, well-trained umpires here. You just aren't going to get that good training from many of the associations here (who have no assigning role) is all.

My theory when stuff like this happens is that the schools/leagues get exactly what they deserve. If they're willing to hire jokers like this, they get exactly what they deserve.

How do they tell the difference between you and the jokers? Sounds like a bad system.

Truth is, many of the coaches either don't know the difference or would rather hire the umpires they can manipulate.

I don't suffer -- I could work 7 days a week if I wanted to (and some weeks I do).

As far as postseason, I'm pretty sure the only metrics they have (the state assigns all the playoff slots) are (1) coaches rating, (2) number of games worked, (3) schedule, (4) preferred partners. I'm certain nobody from the office has actually seen me or my partners officiate. I could be wrong.

No real complaints except it's unlikely I'll get to ever work the state tourney and I'm pretty sure I would've had the chance in other states. The thing about guys using a raft there recently is true, BTW.

+1

Sorry you have to endure such a crappy system.

Congratulations on being part of a system in which you can work as much as you like. I miss those days. Assigners here think that every umpire working the same number of games, regardless of ability, is a good thing.

Umpires with ability benefit from a system using hired assigners less than any other participant in such a system. ADs benefit most, followed by assigners themselves, then bad umpires. Good umpires gain little.

Not always. In our association, assignments are made based on (1) ability; then (2) availability.

An umpire who can work every day probably will work every day, but he may call mostly MS and JV games, with a few lower-level Varsity games thrown in if that's all he's capable of.

Without assigners, umpires with ability work as often as they want, at as high a level as they want, provided they are willing to pursue the games.

Even if that remains true under an assigner, it is of no particular benefit to those umpires. They're simply no worse off than they were before.

Lots of guys don't like having to "sell" their services because it's such a tough sale.

All the leagues here use umpire groups or associations, no freelance going on here. Unfortunately.