Well, this was a 1st.

Adult CO-ED, batter hits the ball into an adjacent playing field. It rolls all the way into thier infield when one of the players from the other game touches the ball.

Blocked ball.

Only problem, the defense insists it's a homerun (the runner would have easily made it to home, it was that obvious).

So, me being a rookie working with a vet ump looked at my partner and he shrugs his shoulders. After about 2 mintues of us explaining it's a blocked ball and both teams insisting it's a homerun, we decided not to fight city hall, and granted the batter a homerun.

I felt funny about the play, but my partner said "No point argueing with both teams about this. Both teams want it to be a homerun, fine.


Any thoughts?

The ball becomes dead when touched by the other team or spectator and runners are awarded bases based upon what you think they could have gotten had the interference not occurred. Home run could be correct if you so rule.

Alameda - read the enforcement for blocked ball.

Ok, so it was ok that we did grant him a homerun, since both of the umps and both the teams agreed, he would have scored.

As far as the 'blocked ball' enforcement, I can only find the definition.

Excuse my noobiness, I did look 1st though, before posting. :)

Wanna throw me a bone and tell me where to look?

TYIA.

ASA 8.5-K, and EFFECT.

Actually, I'd like to know how it landed in someone else's field and was still in play.

However, even if it was, it is not only a blocked ball, but spectator interference. And, BTW, it is 8.5.L in the ASA book.

Thanks guys.

And Mike, we have several fields where the outfields intertwine. Our groundrules state that it's a live ball all the way when it goes into one of the other playing fields. It's chaotic at best, I agree.

Thanks for the clearification all, it's appreciated.

Al.

Mike, some of the slowpitch fields I work at have 4 fields that share the same deep CF. A blast to the outfield could conceivably hit one field in deep deep left, another in extremely deep center, and another in deep deep right.

Never happened in my experience, but conceivable. (Obviously, this guy's fields are a little closer together than the ones I refer to.)

And because the rule book does not cover such fields, this should be covered as a ground rule.

And I sure wouldn't want to be an outfielder!

Oh, it's rediculous. Sometimes the other games outfielders are only about 20 feet from our infield!

My mistake (fortunately not a factor in the call) was thinking that at the point of the blocked ball/dead ball, the runners couldn't advance.

Now I know and will be confident in my call.

Thanks again.

Wow, that's nice. Our outfields intertwine with the cows eatin' alfalfa. (Hittin' a cow's only a 2B award.)

hehe

I agree with Mike. If fields are this close together, then ground rules should
be implemented. Have board get a meet and discuss this. I see nothing but problems.

sounds like a quick ground rules discussion is in order pregame..
as to the play - hey if both teams want a homerun, i dont see any harm in hooking the batter up.

Good call blue!

Hey Mike,

I know you'll probably scream at me, but how is it spectator interference. They aren't spectators of the game in question. They were playing on another field.

I agree, there should be some ground rule to cover this. I'm surprised the city park and rec department in this city didn't give the umpires some guidance on how to handle this type of situation. Of course, they probably didn't because they didn't forsee this kind happening. Maybe lesson learned for us all who work on such fields.

Well, they aren't players in this game, they aren't coaches in this game, they aren't umpires in this game ..... So far as I know, the only other category addressing people at the game who aren't participating is spectator; or should there be another category (and thus more rules stating the same thing) for people at the game site, not participating, but not watching THIS game?

Okay, maybe a bit cutting in response, but gee whiz; it is the only appropriate category to apply here! You don't post on eteamz as Reyogold or Sam, do you?

[Edited by AtlUmpSteve on May 5th, 2005 at 01:05 PM]

Steve, I was just being a bit of a jester. Apparently you didn't get that from the smiley face I posted. I really didn't appreciate your response. Also, I don't even post on eteamz so the answer there is NO! I hope you aren't a mentor to someone, because I sure as hell wouldn't want you for one!

He is probably someone's mentor. Go to his profile and see his credentials.

SP fields
 

Mike is so far up the food chain all his SP games are on fields with fences.

We have several in the Seattle area that are pretty much as described by many of you...and of course every league has different rules about such things (and occasionally share those with us).

I did, in fact, overlook the smilie; absent that vital background, your response, out of context of your mood, seemed to be like those of the people I referenced. They challenge everything that isn't dotted I's and crossed T's, and your response seemed of the same ilk. My apologies for misunderstanding your intent, and certainly for suggesting you are Ray or Sam (harsher than you know, if you don't do eteamz).

Apology accepted. Now, where did I hide that peace pipe???

Re: SP fields
 

Not that I am up the "food chain", but I do seem relegated to fenced fields at the local level. Unfortunately, there are many times I wish I were working the extreme rec level on open fields just to have some fun.