fair or foul

xtremeump

Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. wrote
With all due respect, your State Interpreter is: WRONG! WRONG! WRONG1

All rule sets, both baseball and fast pitch softball, the mechanic is the same: Point and verbalizes FOUL! And point FAIR!

Keeping pointing FAIR until someone gets it. A few years ago I had a USSSA girls' 12U fast pitch tournament game where I was the PU and the batter laid down a bunt that backspinned onto HP and stopped there. I pointed FAIR while the B/R and F2 just stared at the ball. Finally the B/R started runner toward 1B while F2 continued to look at the ball and then look at me while I kept pointing toward FAIR territory. The B/R made it to 1B before F2 finally picked up the ball and wanted to hand it to me.

Now the Defensive HC comes out and started to complain that I didn't tell his F2 that the ball was FAIR; keep in mind that not once did he yell to his F2 to pick up the ball and throw it to F3 at 1B. I told D-HC that I had in deed told his F2 that the ball was FAIR; I kept pointing toward FAIR territory. He proceeded that I was supposed to verbalize the word FAIR to which I told him no I am not. I also reminded him that all batted balls are FAIR unless the Umpires verbally state that they are FOUL. He then told me that his players didn't know that and that I should have taken that into consideration. I told him that no competent Umpire would do what he asked me to do and that players should be taught to play the ball until they hear the Umpires call FOUL, DEAD, or TIME. End of discussion.

Your State Interpreter needs to remember what I have highlighted in red.

MTD, Sr.

Thank you very much for letting me down gently, I know what to do and teach now. I am very sorry if I offended anyone but I will say that I let myself down on this one. Thank you for the wake up call. Ump to Live, Live to Ump. Please do not let my wife know, she still thinks I am correct all of the time. 🙂

dash_riprock

Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. wrote
players should be taught to play the ball until they hear the Umpires call FOUL, DEAD, or TIME. End of discussion.

An umpire should never call DEAD (ball). Time and Foul are the only words used to kill the ball.

MD Longhorn

dash_riprock wrote
An umpire should never call DEAD (ball). Time and Foul are the only words used to kill the ball.

The state clinician (NFHS) in my most recent clinic disagrees with you. So do some rulebooks, actually - caseplays that end with "the umpire shall rule the ball dead." (or "rule a dead ball")

"TIME" is for stopping play for a conference requested by a coach or for killing play prior to a pitch. Or in LL machine pitch, ruling the play over when the ball reaches a circle.
"Dead Ball" is used when something during play (runner interference, bat hits ball a 2nd time, ball goes out of play, etc) kills the play.

dash_riprock

MD Longhorn wrote
"Dead Ball" is used when something during play (runner interference, bat hits ball a 2nd time, ball goes out of play, etc) kills the play.

Go to a college or pro clinic and they will stop this practice.

MD Longhorn

dash_riprock wrote
Go to a college or pro clinic and they will stop this practice.

At that level, I agree with you. I did state NFHS and LL in my reply (and that applies to most orgs below MLB / MiLB / NCAA)

As in most things, we do what our supervisors want.

nopachunts

MD Longhorn wrote
As in most things, we do what our supervisors want.

Especially if we want to continue to working for them.

dash_riprock

MD Longhorn wrote
At that level, I agree with you. I did state NFHS and LL in my reply (and that applies to most orgs below MLB / MiLB / NCAA)

As in most things, we do what our supervisors want.

What would you do if your supervisor wanted you to yell "Steeerike three yer out!" and jerk your thumb skyward on a swinging 3rd strike? Calling dead ball is equivalent to that.

MD Longhorn

dash_riprock wrote
What would you do if your supervisor wanted you to yell "Steeerike three yer out!" and jerk your thumb skyward on a swinging 3rd strike? Calling dead ball is equivalent to that.

Well ... if my STATE supervisor said that... I'd do it. Not that he would. Then again, if he said to do it, and everyone did it ... would it still be weird?

If my local guy told us to use a mechanic so bad I had an issue with it, I'd probably mention it to the next guy up the chain (honestly ... someone else would before me, in all likelihood), and it would get fixed.

CT1

dash_riprock wrote
Go to a college or pro clinic and they will stop this practice.

I've been to both. Guess what? They didn't stop it.

Granted, it was on a very few possible plays, such as a drag bunt, the ball hits B1, & PU is blocked.

MD Longhorn

CT1 wrote
I've been to both. Guess what? They didn't stop it.

Granted, it was on a very few possible plays, such as a drag bunt, the ball hits B1, & PU is blocked.

And what did they say to say on this play?

Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.

CT1 wrote
I've been to both. Guess what? They didn't stop it.

Granted, it was on a very few possible plays, such as a drag bunt, the ball hits B1, & PU is blocked.

MTD, Sr.

dash_riprock

MD Longhorn wrote
And what did they say to say on this play?

The correct verbal mechanic is: "That's interference, Time!"

xtremeump

dash_riprock wrote
The correct verbal mechanic is: "That's interference, Time!"

Jim Evans MLB Umpire School in 2008, one of the students said "DEAD BALL" during a drill. All of the Instructors stopped everything put their Caps over there hearts and wanted to see the dead ball. What it taught me is what is the difference between TIME & DEAD BALL ? I always go with TIME now...

CT1

MD Longhorn wrote
And what did they say to say on this play?

"Time" preferred, but no ding for "Dead ball". Similar to "Balk" or "That's a balk."

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