Balk Question and Base Abandonment Question
 

13 Year Old USSSA baseball, we play MLB rules.

First question,count 1-1, runner on first takes off for 2nd more than half way before the ball is released, ball in the dirt, field umpire calls a balk. The umpire says we can have the pitch making the count 2-1 but the runner goes back to first. Or we can take the balk runner stays at 2nd count goes back to 1-1.??

Second question, bases loaded, two outs, batter hits ground ball to SS who throws to first and the umpire signals out. All the base runners run into the dugout, head coach comes out onto the field to complain about the call. Umpire behind the plate reverses the call puts all the runners back on the field, awards the run that would have scored from 3rd and the inning continues. My question was shouldn't the coach have made his players stay on their base while he argued the call. Once they went in the dugout the inning was over ??

Thanks,

Easygoer

1) No choice. Enforce the balk and nullify the pitch (R2; 1-1)

2) The PU should not "reverse the call." That said, if the call was reversed, the umpires got it right. The runners are not required to stay on the bases during the discussion.

1) Umpire was incorrect.
2) No, of course not. Why would runners need to stay on the field after a third out? If something changes (as in this case), the umpire should place the runners appropriately (as he did).

(As an aside - it irritates umpires when coaches come out to argue a call and insist their runner stay on the base the coach thinks they belong on).

Correct on both counts. Get that call right, let your ego go! :cool:

Really? Doesn't bug me in the least. :p

In fact, it eliminates having to reconstruct where the runners should go if they enter the dugout and have to return should the call get reversed.

How often does a call get reversed?

It bugs me. It's always with the tone of, "He really screwed this up and I'll fix this."

I can't remember a single time when we actually put him back on the base, either.

Had one last night. Double play grounder back to the pitcher. Throw to second was wide and the pivot fielder had to stretch for it. He held the bag, but of course by the time the coach's eyes looked down, the fielder was 3-4 feet off the bag. None of them ever look at the feet when the ball's actually caught.

The coach came out ranting and told his runner to "stay right there." Typical HS coach that's been around a long time but has no clue how to talk to umpires. Somehow he managed to stay in the game.

Perhaps. But then they end up looking like idiots when the call doesn't go their way, which I agree is almost always the case, and the runners sheepishly head for the dugout.

I guess I just have a high tolerance for stupidity. :D

This. All of this. Exactly.