Coaches say the darndest things
 

Last night, 12U. 2nd game of the season for this team. R1 starts on 2nd, rounds third on a hit, and stops 6 steps off base. Ball gets back to the circle, and pitcher is looking towards home. I hear coach say, "Wait, wait, stay right there..." as I count one one thousand, thinking to myself - come on runner, do something. I hate coaches making me enforce LBR at these young ages. But I ring her up. Coach comes in to ask me why. I say "Look-Back rule - the ball was in the circle and your runner just stood there off the base."

I kid you not... his response:

"But pitcher didn't look her back!"

To make matters worse... assistant coach is this runner's mom... and good friends with my wife. So it's going to end up being my fault - that I made her daughter cry. :)

Coach, here's your sign.

Varsity game I had recently.

0 out. R1 on 1B, B2 with 2 strikes. F2 drops the 3rd called K. I come up with my 3K sell out as B2 takes off for 1B, and R1 takes off for 2B. Seeing the action, I also verballize "Batter is out!" B2, hearing what I said, stops half way up the line, and walks into the 1B dugout. R1 makes it to 2B. F2 throws the ball to F1.

Defensive coach comes out to talk:
DC: "Blue, the catcher dropped the ball.
Me: "Yes she did."
DC: "Then why is the batter out?"
Me: "Because she struck out."
DC: "But the catcher dropped it."
Me: "Yep."
DC: - with a confused look, turns to his F1 and says "Throw the ball to first." F1 does.
Me: "What are you doing, coach?"
DC: "I want to get an out."
Me: "On whom, coach?"
DC: "The runner on 2B."
Me: "You can't, coach. She didn't do anything."
DC: "But she left the base."
Me: "Huh?"
DC: "It was a D3K, right?"
Me: "Coach, 1B was occupied. The D3K rule doesn't apply."
DC: "But the runner on 1 ..." (I see the hamster wheel turning slightly, but the lightbulb is still dim)...
Me: "Coach, there were no outs. 1B was occupied. The batter struck out. The runner stole 2B. Everything is legal."
DC: "But... <pause> ... I don't understand, but OK."

He walks away.

Inbetween innings, he is on his way to the 3B coaches box, and stops by me and my partner on the 1B line and says, "I still don't understand what happened there, but my assistant coach said that you guys are right, and I made myself look bad. Sorry... "

My partner and I just started laughing.

Some places just don't learn from year to year. Earlier this week in a HS baseball game (I know, I know) between two small town teams, one of which I have done a lot of HS and summer ball. Two outs, runner on first, D3K. Of course I allow the batter to try for first, but he get halfway there before the catcher decides to throw to the first baseman. He turns and says that first was occupied, so I explain it to him. Here comes the pitcher telling me first was occupied, now the assistant coach (who coaches summer teams), and half the crowd screaming about it.

I still don't think they understand.