Verbalize a fair ball?
 

Is there EVER a situation that an umpire should verbalize a fair ball?

Will explain why after some replies.

Can't think of any. Just stand and point fair until someone figures it out.

I can think of two odd scenarios where I might verbalize.

1.) Fair ball, but my stupid brain uses the wrong arm and I initially point to foul ground. I might use a verbal here when I fix the signal, especially if the game situation dictates a clear call of fair. On second thought, I wouldn't do this.
2.) BR INT, hit by batted ball very close to the line. "Dead ball! That's fair! The batter is out!"

No.

MTD, Sr.

I think the OP means the Ball is remaining Live.

MTD, Sr.

Ditto no.

For me it would just be, "Dead ball, out". Otherwise, it would be "Dead ball, foul" or just "foul ball".

This looks interesting. :)

No. Never.



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Ugh. Not sure how I got lost and ended up in the softball forums. But my answer still applies.. It did when I used to do fast pitch and still applies to hardball. No. Never verbalize a fair ball.

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No.

You say that like it's a bad thing. :cool:

No. never. 2 days later, what's the explanation?

Problem becomes when you're working something south of 12U rec ball, and nobody figures it out.

I actually had a situation in a LL Minors game years ago where a batter tried to duck out of the way of a ball toward her head, and the ball tinked off her bat and landed in fair territory in the front of her batter's box. I did point fair, but the batter never moved from the box, and the catcher picked up the ball and tossed it back to the pitcher for the next pitch.

I stayed off the side of the plate, still pointing, but nobody got a clue, not even the coaches. I was expecting a parent in the stands to start yelling "RUN!" or "THROW THE BALL TO FIRST!" Nope, crickets.

Finally, I stopped pointing and said, "THAT was a Fair Ball, everyone!" That's when the Chinese Fire Drill started as the coaches were yelling "RUN!" and "THROW THE BALL TO FIRST!" and the pitcher threw the ball wildly past first base. Batter ended up at first base.

The reason for my OP is as follows.

A couple of weekends ago, our area hosted a NUS. Many of our district UICs and several of our local umpires attended.

The following weekend, our local chapters held a mechanics clinic for our guys and gals. We had a district UIC giving us mechanics protocols. He said that if a batted fly ball was close to the line and was touched fair, but not caught, that we were to give a point and then to verbalize "FAIR BALL!"

Several umpires who attended the NUS were flabbergasted at this mechanic and questioned his comments. Many others stood shaking their heads "no". The other instructors who had attended the NUS did not overturn their partner's call on this matter.

Even after a couple minutes of lively debate on the matter from the "students" the UIC stood firm that that's what they taught at the NUS.

I got into my Umpire's Manual and found clear evidence that a fair ball is NEVER verbalized. I'm hoping that a clarification message eventually finds its way to the attendees of the local mechanics clinic so we don't do something that is incorrect in live games.

Thanx for the replies. Many of us were wondering if some new mechanic (that hadn't made it into the book) was being introduced.