Erroneous foul ball call

[MT 73]

Originally Posted by fredhjr

Batter moves in the box to avoid being hit by pitch. Ball hits bat, enters and comes to rest in fair territory. PU verbalizes "foul ball". Of course, this is an oops, but can the error be rectified? Would it be possible to call a "no pitch"?

Live with the call.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by MT 73

Live with the call.

And when the following conversation occurs:

Coach: Blue, that ball came off the bat and came to rest in fair territory.
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid it did
Coach: Yet, you called it a foul ball
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid I did
Coach: So this should be considered a fair batted ball, correct?
Umpire: Well, yes
Coach: So you know it is fair, but called foul?
Umpire: I'm afraid I did
Coach: Then I'm playing the game under protest

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

And when the following conversation occurs:

Coach: Blue, that ball came off the bat and came to rest in fair territory.
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid it did
Coach: Yet, you called it a foul ball
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid I did
Coach: So this should be considered a fair batted ball, correct?
Umpire: Well, yes
Coach: So you know it is fair, but called foul?
Umpire: I'm afraid I did
Coach: Then I'm playing the game under protest

Thanks coach, I'll note that and turn in the report.

Play!

[Andy]

Once the ball is called foul, that bell should not be unrung.....

The problem with this play is....how do you "fix" it? You can't assume that the defense would have pounced on the ball and made an out and you can't assume that the BR would have made it safely to first. No pitch is not an option.

It wasn't specified which rule set, but in NCAA, you CANNOT, by rule, change this to a fair ball.

Here is a play I had as a UIC from a few years ago....

ASA (at the time) rules, 3 umpire crew, no runners on, less than two strikes on the batter.

Pitch comes in, batter hits a ground ball to F5 playing in front of third base, ball rolls under F5's glove and goes foul prior to passing third base. PU rules foul ball. Offensive coach comes to PU and states that F5 touched the ball in fair territory and asks PU to check with his partners. PU gets crew together and U3 tells PU that the ball was touched in fair territory by F5. PU changes call to fair ball and placed the BR on first base. Defensive coach wants to protest, I am summoned to the field, get the story from the crew and talk to the defensive coach. I do not allow the protest since it was a reversal of a judgement call which is not subject to protest. Post game with crew was that PU should have told Offensive coach that he saw all he needed to and that the foul ball call stands.

[robbie]

[QUOTE=Andy;1005296]Once the ball is called foul, that bell should not be unrung.....

The problem with this play is....how do you "fix" it? You can't assume that the defense would have pounced on the ball and made an out and you can't assume that the BR would have made it safely to first. No pitch is not an option.

It wasn't specified which rule set, but in NCAA, you CANNOT, by rule, change this to a fair ball.

Here is a play I had as a UIC from a few years ago....

ASA (at the time) rules, 3 umpire crew, no runners on, less than two strikes on the batter.

Pitch comes in, batter hits a ground ball to F5 playing in front of third base, ball rolls under F5's glove and goes foul prior to passing third base. PU rules foul ball. Offensive coach comes to PU and states that F5 touched the ball in fair territory and asks PU to check with his partners. PU gets crew together and U3 tells PU that the ball was touched in fair territory by F5. PU changes call to fair ball and placed the BR on first base. Defensive coach wants to protest, I am summoned to the field, get the story from the crew and talk to the defensive coach. I do not allow the protest since it was a reversal of a judgement call which is not subject to protest. Post game with crew was that PU should have told Offensive coach that he saw all he needed to and that the foul ball call stands.[/QUOTE]

Wrong - Wrong - and More Wrong......

[Andy]

[QUOTE=robbie;1005298]

Originally Posted by Andy

Once the ball is called foul, that bell should not be unrung.....

The problem with this play is....how do you "fix" it? You can't assume that the defense would have pounced on the ball and made an out and you can't assume that the BR would have made it safely to first. No pitch is not an option.

It wasn't specified which rule set, but in NCAA, you CANNOT, by rule, change this to a fair ball.

Here is a play I had as a UIC from a few years ago....

ASA (at the time) rules, 3 umpire crew, no runners on, less than two strikes on the batter.

Pitch comes in, batter hits a ground ball to F5 playing in front of third base, ball rolls under F5's glove and goes foul prior to passing third base. PU rules foul ball. Offensive coach comes to PU and states that F5 touched the ball in fair territory and asks PU to check with his partners. PU gets crew together and U3 tells PU that the ball was touched in fair territory by F5. PU changes call to fair ball and placed the BR on first base. Defensive coach wants to protest, I am summoned to the field, get the story from the crew and talk to the defensive coach. I do not allow the protest since it was a reversal of a judgement call which is not subject to protest. Post game with crew was that PU should have told Offensive coach that he saw all he needed to and that the foul ball call stands.[/QUOTE]

Wrong - Wrong - and More Wrong......

Why?

[IRISHMAFIA]

[QUOTE=Andy;1005319]

Originally Posted by robbie

Why?

Because it is a lie.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by Andy

Once the ball is called foul, that bell should not be unrung.....

The problem with this play is....how do you "fix" it? You can't assume that the defense would have pounced on the ball and made an out and you can't assume that the BR would have made it safely to first. No pitch is not an option.

It wasn't specified which rule set, but in NCAA, you CANNOT, by rule, change this to a fair ball.

Here is a play I had as a UIC from a few years ago....

ASA (at the time) rules, 3 umpire crew, no runners on, less than two strikes on the batter.

Pitch comes in, batter hits a ground ball to F5 playing in front of third base, ball rolls under F5's glove and goes foul prior to passing third base. PU rules foul ball. Offensive coach comes to PU and states that F5 touched the ball in fair territory and asks PU to check with his partners. PU gets crew together and U3 tells PU that the ball was touched in fair territory by F5. PU changes call to fair ball and placed the BR on first base. Defensive coach wants to protest, I am summoned to the field, get the story from the crew and talk to the defensive coach. I do not allow the protest since it was a reversal of a judgement call which is not subject to protest. Post game with crew was that PU should have told Offensive coach that he saw all he needed to and that the foul ball call stands.

But, your example is of a wrong judgment call. The facts are in dispute (did the fielder touch the ball... PU's judgment was no.)

The OP's situation is a misapplication of the rule call (definition of foul ball).

In the OP's situation, none of the facts are disputed. The ball was a fair ball than was inadvertently called foul, not a poorly judged foul.

It was an incorrectly called foul ball.

[MT 73]

Originally Posted by Dakota

But, your example is of a wrong judgment call. The facts are in dispute (did the fielder touch the ball... PU's judgment was no.)

The OP's situation is a misapplication of the rule call (definition of foul ball).

In the OP's situation, none of the facts are disputed. The ball was a fair ball than was inadvertently called foul, not a poorly judged foul.

It was an incorrectly called foul ball.

He did not misapply a rule--he blew a judgement call.
Big difference.
Are you willing to put up a $500 protest fee to have this decided?

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by MT 73

He did not misapply a rule--he blew a judgement call.
Big difference.
Are you willing to put up a $500 protest fee to have this decided?

No need for the snark.

What was his judgment? If a batter is trying to avoid getting hit and accidentally hits a batted ball into fair territory, it is a foul ball? That is a misapplication of a rule.

Or, since the OP says "Of course, this is an oops..." that the PU's judgment was "oops"?

He called foul apparently not because of an error in judgment, but because of an error in opening his mouth.

Any protest would face an uphill climb, but this is not a discussion about "what you you do if you were on the protest committee?", but, what should the umpire do?

I generally agree with the "eat the call" position; I was just pointing out that Andy's situation was different in that there really was an error in judgment in his situation.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

And when the following conversation occurs:

Coach: Blue, that ball came off the bat and came to rest in fair territory.
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid it did
Coach: Yet, you called it a foul ball
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid I did
Coach: So this should be considered a fair batted ball, correct?
Umpire: Well, yes No, coach, my judgement at the time was a foul ball.
Coach: So you know it is fair, but called foul?
Umpire: I'm afraid I did
Coach: Then I'm playing the game under protest

Sorry, coach, but the judgment made at that moment cannot be protested; and the call stands.

Fixed that issue.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

Sorry, coach, but the judgment made at that moment cannot be protested; and the call stands.

Fixed that issue.

But as offered in the conversation, it was not a judgment call as the umpire admits the batted ball qualified as a fair ball.

Yes, maybe it was a brain fart, but I believe it to be a misinterpretation and that is protestable

[MT 73]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

But as offered in the conversation, it was not a judgment call as the umpire admits the batted ball qualified as a fair ball.

Yes, maybe it was a brain fart, but I believe it to be a misinterpretation and that is protestable

Judgment calls cannot be protested.
And, as stated in the rule book, that includes fair/foul calls.
Life can be unfair at times.
No pun intended.

[youngump]

Originally Posted by MT 73

Judgment calls cannot be protested.
And, as stated in the rule book, that includes fair/foul calls.
Life can be unfair at times.
No pun intended.

If you judged the ball to have come to rest in foul territory that would be right. But you didn't. You might have temporarily done that but in retrospect you know that's wrong. So when the coach asks you where the ball was, you're going to say it was in fair territory. Now we have to make a ruling.
As I've said around here if you ruled that you could clean it up, I've heard you'd lose that protest (though I don't know for sure). As noted, in other places, you'd better rule you can clean it up or you'll lost that protest.

[youngump]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

And when the following conversation occurs:

Coach: Blue, that ball came off the bat and came to rest in fair territory.
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid it did
Coach: Yet, you called it a foul ball
Umpire: Yes, coach, I'm afraid I did
Coach: So this should be considered a fair batted ball, correct?

Never had it happen but around here I've been told that this is how the rest of that goes.

Umpire: It should have been. It was incorrectly called foul
Coach: So you know it is fair, but called foul?
Umpire: I'm sorry but a ball inadvertently called foul must remain foul
Coach: Then I'm playing the game under protest
Umpire: Sure let me grab the UIC.
UIC: Protest denied.

And the citation is always about the impossibility of unringing a bell.