High school varsity game. I'm B/U and after back to back homeruns the third batter of the inning fouls her first pitch about fifty yards over the backstop.

PU has no other backup balls and I see that a man has retrieved one of the homerun balls and is outside of the centerfield fence. P/U asks F7 to get the ball from him and the man refuses to give the ball back.

As the coaches are looking around their dugouts for another game ball I ran out to the centerfield fence and requested the ball from the man. He says "I'm not giving the ball back, it was my daughter who hit the homerun and I'm keeping it for her." I explained we needed the ball to continue the game and that I would mark the ball and perhaps the coach would give his daughter the ball after the game. After several more requests the man walks closer to the fence, cusses and throws the ball away from me into left field. I then told him that because of his language and unsportmanlike conduct, he had to leave the playing area. The school AD escorted the man from the area.

F8 returned the ball to me and I marked it, informed my PU about the situation and the game continued.

You don't have enough going on inside the fence?

Since when is it the umpire's job to retrieve game balls? I would have just let the ball go and inform the team responsible for game balls that a fan walked away with their ball.

concur 100%

this aint in your job description at all.

What could you possibly be thinking that you would go all the way out there to initiate a conversation with a fan? As was stated, we have enough to deal with when it comes to fans. Gathering up home run or foul balls ( any ball outside the confines of the playing area ) is not our job. Let the home team - or even the visitng team - put a couple of balls into the mix. Don't set yourself up for controversy that was totally unnecessary. If I am the PU, I would have my partner quickly know my discontent for that action. That also puts me in the mix of controvesy if I am the PU.

Just reread your post and I realize now that the PU initiated this activity by asking F7 to gt the ball back. That was HIS mistake. It was YOURS for getting in even deeper by going out there yourself. Tell your partner to do his job and let the ballboys ( girls ) do theirs.

"Sure Sir, I would keep it also, that was a pretty hit.

"Coach, we need a couple more game balls."

If a HR ball is ever returned to the field I will always put it aside and ask the coach if s/he would like to replace it and keep it for the player that hit it. That goes a long way in the "good relations department."

Marked It ?
 

I'm going along with the general idea that I have enough to do and it does not include ball fetching. But what is done is done....but....I do have a problem with the fact that someone "marked" the ball. How was this accomplished ? Sharpie ? BIC pen ? Autograph ? I hope you received a commercial contract out of it....they do in football... oh wait....they also recieve really BIG fines !

About four years ago I had a game in which a girl hit a homerun. After the ball came back I asked the coach if he wanted to keep the ball and replace it to give it to the girl. He told me 'no, she'll just hit another on out and we'll end up runnig out'. Sure enough, next at bat she hits another one, further than the first. The coach looked at me with a big smile and see "See what I mean." I just had to laugh.

Let me make sure I understand this. A spectator was OUTSIDE the fence, past the outfield. You tracked him down, demanded the ball back, he got upset, and you EJECTED him?!?!?! Good god.

Bandit,
I mark every game ball for Fed ball. My mark does not wear off as the game goes along. How do you ensure that the ball you put into play in the fourth inning is a legal ball? I know the ball I put into play was a legal ball when I inspected it.

I only do adult SP, so this doesn't really apply, but there are usually only 2 game balls. If there are 2 home runs in the same inning, then someone better throw one in or I hope one of the teams has an extra ball. Otherwise game over.

I only do adult SP, so this doesn't really apply, but there are usually only 2 game balls(One supplied by each team). If there are 2 home runs in the same inning, then someone better throw one in or I hope one of the teams has an extra ball. Otherwise game over.

In SP, if it's hit their own ball, I always tell the coaches/captains in pregame to have a back-up ball ready. It's kind of a hassle in the lower level leagues because they keep forgetting this easy task, but the Open League in Omaha isn't so bad. They come in with a couple of boxes ready and have the umpires check to see that they are legal. Every time they hit one out, they just throw one in from the box, fresh and ready to go join the rest of the over the fencers.

Can really be a pain if there are trees or water behind or even beside the fields. Balls can be lost or come back twice as heavy as when they left when in water. It makes for alot few hits when the ball is soaked. :)

One of the dumbest things I've ever heard in softball. I will no longer work a tournament with this rule.

Quote:

I always tell the coaches/captains in pregame to have a back-up ball ready. It's kind of a hassle in the lower level leagues because they keep forgetting this easy task, but the Open League in Omaha isn't so bad. They come in with a couple of boxes ready and have the umpires check to see that they are legal. Every time they hit one out, they just throw one in from the box, fresh and ready to go join the rest of the over the fencers.

And then you often end up with the pitcher grinding them into the dirt or scuffing it with their shoe. Trust me, it happens and then the umpire has to get involved. Bring the balls through me and there will be no need to "rub down", "scuff up" or alter the ball in any other manner.

Mike,

Are you saying leagues are wrong to be hit their own ball? I mean, imagine the league expenses if we stopped doing hit your own ball.

By the way, what's wrong with hit your own ball? I mean, are you a proponent of taxing teams to death on the team fees to enter tournaments because the tournament wil provide the balls? Imagine the number of tournaments if we started doing that.