Crow hop is never called!

[IRISHMAFIA]

But 37 more days and this thread will have been active for a year!!!

[Dakota]

Originally posted by IRISHMAFIA
But 37 more days and this thread will have been active for a year!!!

Well, lets keep it going, then!

[Dakota]

Originally posted by SRW
...

Nice picture, but this particular troll is kind of fun!

[Dakota]

Hey, nubie,

So, your interpretation of the situation is that every umpire at the upper levels is cowardly, and every tournament director (up to and including the NCAA championship tournament) is cooking the rules to set up a particular team as the winner.

Hmmm... How'd that actually work out for Texas so far?

BTW, you never answered my question... How's the weather in California?

[bkbjones]

Originally posted by SRW
...photo of SRW...[/img]

SRW,
Is that from your personal collection?

[Andy]

Originally posted by Dakota
... How's the weather in California?...

Tom - I was thinking the same thing...but I would have asked about the weather in Nebraska!

[Dakota]

Originally posted by Andy

Tom - I was thinking the same thing...but I would have asked about the weather in Nebraska!

The thought did occur to me...

[AtlUmpSteve]

The discussion is certainly similar, but he didn't reference how his daughter's high school team was screwed by these umpires. Or, how only he had the morals to teach only legality. Besides, that particular person is too full of his own self-importance to select such a self-deprecating screen name.

[SRW]

Originally posted by bkbjones

SRW,
Is that from your personal collection?

*...don't take the bait, SRW... don't take the bait...*

[bellnier]

FUBLUE said: "Worked a Men's state tournament (D level, so no national) and the UIC made this statement: "There will be no illegal pitches thrown this weekend." When asked what he meant, he said, "there will be no illegal pitches thrown this weekend." Enough Said. (I called none...because I saw none, right!)"

Of course, that must only refer to subtle, 'low priority' illegalities like leaping and hopping in women's FP. Surely blue would have to ignore the UIC and the wishes of the league or tournament director and call IP for sidearm deliveries. What does blue do when he receives this edict from UIC, but persistent and blatant IPs give one team a very obvious advantage over the other? How do you respond to the coach when he questions the IPs and the lack of calls? Do you tell him the truth and say that you recognize the pitch was illegal but your UIC instructed you to ignore it? Do you tell them it's a "low priority" and therefore below some illegality 'threshold'? Do the coaches know in advance, via a pretournament coaches meeting, that these calls won't be made? Could one of you knowledgeable guys explain how this works from begining to end?

[nubie]

FINALLY, someone with reason, bell!!!
Thank you!
NOW, will someone please answer the question???

Originally posted by bellnier
FUBLUE said: "Worked a Men's state tournament (D level, so no national) and the UIC made this statement: "There will be no illegal pitches thrown this weekend." When asked what he meant, he said, "there will be no illegal pitches thrown this weekend." Enough Said. (I called none...because I saw none, right!)"

Of course, that must only refer to subtle, 'low priority' illegalities like leaping and hopping in women's FP. Surely blue would have to ignore the UIC and the wishes of the league or tournament director and call IP for sidearm deliveries. What does blue do when he receives this edict from UIC, but persistent and blatant IPs give one team a very obvious advantage over the other? How do you respond to the coach when he questions the IPs and the lack of calls? Do you tell him the truth and say that you recognize the pitch was illegal but your UIC instructed you to ignore it? Do you tell them it's a "low priority" and therefore below some illegality 'threshold'? Do the coaches know in advance, via a pretournament coaches meeting, that these calls won't be made? Could one of you knowledgeable guys explain how this works from begining to end?

[Dakota]

Originally posted by nubie
NOW, will someone please answer the question???

Exactly... so, how IS the weather in California?

[nubie]

Dak, Weather in Ca's great, of course; didn't think that needed an answer, isn't the weather ALWAYS great in Ca? NOW, will YOU answer the ?: why won't the umps call the illegal pitches, leaping/hopping( because tournament directors tell umps what to call sounds like hired guns & a real shame, if true!?) & finally bring this "year long topic?" to a close, or it'll go on forever, as will the hopper problem, due in part, to you, blue!!! Take a stand & Stop the Hop!

Originally posted by Dakota

Exactly... so, how IS the weather in California?

[bellnier]

Nubie, take a deep breath and relax...you're starting to sound like the guy that sits around the house wearing a tin-foil hat with all the blinds drawn.

The broader issues here are not only about trust (on the part of coaches, players) and integrity (on the part of umps, organizers and officials), but fairness. There are some rules of any game or sport that can be ignored, given low 'priority', etc. that, by doing so, favors neither team. I didn't write the rulebook, but many of us assume that the IP rules were written to prevent an unfair advantage for a pitcher and her team over another. This should NEVER be allowed. If governing bodies don't like the rule, remove it...all the girls can be retrained to leap five feet in the air and whip the ball side arm...let the batters learn to deal with it...I don't care. But the bottom line is (or, rather, should be)---if its still in the book, enforce it. Any other approach to calling the game is a slippery slope...what will blue do when the UIC hints, for example, that "there will be no IPs AND no 'look back ' rule violations in this tournaments"? Where does it stop?

(I know, I know...I'm being naive...in the real world lots of rules are ignored...how many cops ticket jaywalkers these days, even though that particular rule is still in the books).

Just my 2 cents. Don't ask me how the weather is here (I'm in Buffalo, not CA!)

[Dakota]

Originally posted by bellnier
(I know, I know...I'm being naive...

Yes, you are. Also uninformed about how sports officiating actually works.

The rule book is not holy writ. Otherwise, there would not be POEs, Case Books, Umpire Manuals, etc.

How many league games do you officiate where the rule book is strictly followed?

I can give you the answer for me: None.

There are nearly always adjustments to the rules. Sometimes these adjustments are written down. Sometimes they are conveyed by the UIC at umpire meetings. Sometimes they are conveyed to the umpires at pre-season clinics or training school. But, they are nearly always there.

The other aspect of how sports officiating works that you do not understand is that umpires are NOT the high priests of the game whose job is to enforce the rules as written by the sanctioning body in the official book.

Is that a surprise? My guess either it is, or you like to rail against it.

The umpire's job is to call the game according to the instructions / priorities of the people putting on the game. In almost all cases, the "people putting on the game" are represented to the umpiring crew by the UIC or the tournament director. In almost all cases, one or both of these individuals will instruct the umpires how the games will be called in this particular event. Umpires who willfully ignore that instruction are not operating with integrity and are not doing their job.

Is that a surprise to you? Again, my guess either it is, or you like to rail against it.