How Would You Handle This as U1?

[blueump]

District championship game today - I was assigned to work as U1, with one of the area association "trainers" as U2.

Late in the game he's in C with runners at 2nd and 3rd. The batting team are the visitors and up 9-1 in the top of the 5th inning - so these two runs are crucial. The defense decides to give the next batter an intentional walk. First pitch comes in no problem: ball one. The next pitch is where the "fun" begins. F1 never even comes close to bringing her hands together. I call "illegal pitch" as she's delivering - giving the delayed dead ball signal. The pitch ends up right down the middle and the batter crushes the ball between two outfielders. It rolls all the way to the fence.

As the fielders are chasing down the ball and the runners all getting as much as they can, my U2 is running into the infield with his hands up yelling "wait, wait, that's an Illegal pitch, illegal pitch, Stop, Stop!!" The coach in the box at third is yelling back at him that it's a delayed dead ball and telling his players to keep running. The U2 yells back, "it's dead!"

So, when all the dust cleared and the play ended, the BR ended up on third and the two other runners crossed the plate. After then telling the coach to "zip his lip" he came to me to ask what I had.

Besides deciding to never attend a training session from that "trainer", what would you do with the runners? I'll wait for a few responses before I tell you how this all worked out.

[RKBUmp]

Place them where you judge they would have reached if not for the umpires improper call.

[chapmaja]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

Place them where you judge they would have reached if not for the umpires improper call.

I have to agree with this. The ball is dead as soon as your BU says "it's dead", so at that point we have an incorrect call from the B/U, which has put the offensive team in jeopardy. We need to use judgment to put the runners where they would have made it to, absent the ball being incorrectly ruled dead.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by blueump

District championship game today - I was assigned to work as U1, with one of the area association "trainers" as U2.

Late in the game he's in C with runners at 2nd and 3rd. The batting team are the visitors and up 9-1 in the top of the 5th inning - so these two runs are crucial. The defense decides to give the next batter an intentional walk. First pitch comes in no problem: ball one. The next pitch is where the "fun" begins. F1 never even comes close to bringing her hands together. I call "illegal pitch" as she's delivering - giving the delayed dead ball signal. The pitch ends up right down the middle and the batter crushes the ball between two outfielders. It rolls all the way to the fence.

As the fielders are chasing down the ball and the runners all getting as much as they can, my U2 is running into the infield with his hands up yelling "wait, wait, that's an Illegal pitch, illegal pitch, Stop, Stop!!" The coach in the box at third is yelling back at him that it's a delayed dead ball and telling his players to keep running. The U2 yells back, "it's dead!"

So, when all the dust cleared and the play ended, the BR ended up on third and the two other runners crossed the plate. After then telling the coach to "zip his lip" he came to me to ask what I had.

I assume you told him an idiot for a partner

Besides deciding to never attend a training session from that "trainer", what would you do with the runners? I'll wait for a few responses before I tell you how this all worked out.

I'm with everyone else, place the runners where you believe they would have ended up had your partner not screwed up the call.

[teebob21]

^^^ Yup.

I have nothing to add except a +1 to the previous posts. Award bases as appropriate, and politely review the rule + effect with your "trainer" partner.

[blueump]

That's exactly what I did. Despite the violent screaming from the crowd, I told both coaches that I had no doubt that the BR would have reached 3rd anyway. I scored both runs and left the BR on 3rd.

Much later in the day, the U2 came to me to ask why I had called an illegal pitch, but never said anything about his boneheaded screw-up.

[chapmaja]

Please tell me they did not bring this "trainer" from downstate.

[blueump]

Originally Posted by chapmaja

Please tell me they did not bring this "trainer" from downstate.

Actually just the opposite. He's from "up north".