HBP 3 times
 

Did girls JH FP game as base umpire. Pitcher had great velocity but no control. Pitcher drilled several girls in 3 innings. Here's the kicker she drilled the same girl twice. Opposing coach wants her out of the game. Defensive coach wouldn't remove her from the game.In my opinion I believed she was not intentionally hitting them. The Parents of the girls being hit started to get vocal (can't say I blame them :( ). By the way I had a rookie partner doing the plate. I then told the coach that if the pitcher hit another girl she would be ejected and he as well. He was not happy but he changed pitchers. Tell me how you would have handled it. By the way there are no other rules other then the ASA.

If you didn't believe the pitcher was intentionally throwing at the batters, your action contradicted your belief. I believe you overstepped your authority and I don't give a damn how vocal anyone became.

That said, this is comparable to a batter who slings the bat with no intention of injuring anyone. In that case, you suggest to the coach that the girl be replaced and, as the crew chief, the game is suspended until the coach takes corrective action. However, I still don't care how vocal anyone becomes. And if it was that bad that you noticed, I might have a similar conversation with the other coach about controlling his/her fans.

I agree with Mike. Your actions aren't supported by your words. And what ASA rule do you have that supports your action?

I hope they were yelling, "We're victims in this world and it's always someone else's fault. We want to scream about the injustices of the world that are causing our daughter to be pummelled. And we're not pulling her from the game. We want her to continue to be pummelled while we're complaining so she will learn how important it is to be a victim, too."

(Yeah, I know I'm cyncial, but I'm too old to care. )

If the teams or the parents thought it was a serious enough concern, they could have protested by walking off the field and allowing the association to settle the issue. Unfortunately (or fortunately) we are limited by the rules, as noted by Mike and Steve above.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to ask the coach to put a catch behind the plate who can at least block the ball
No more mask shots, arm shots, calf shots off F2's heel, and no more c\/p shots

I did a game last year where one girl got hit (and hit hard) on all four of her plate appearances. No other girl got hit in the whole game. After the third hit the coach and her dad were going nuts, but it was clearly not intentional. SO I told them it is not up to me to replace the pitcher. Ironically the fourth time the girl got hit she forced in the game winning run.

Bugg

How would I have handled it? I would have done what I always have done.....umpire by the rules and not make up my own rules just because the fans are getting upset.

I had this sitch last year under ASA rules. After the third dangerously hardthrown and wild HBP in eight or ten batters, I told the coach (pitcher's mother) that one more HBP would result in pitcher's ejection for malicious contact / unsportsmanlike conduct, in that she was intentionally throwing faster than she could control. Maybe a stretch, but it was a safety issue to me, and within (my interpretation of) the rules. Coach objected, but had her pitcher concentrate on location rather than speed, and no more HBPs.

Not only was that a stretch on your part, but it could have resulted in a protest due to misapplication of the rules.