Things I Heard This Weekend

[heyblue]

This past weekend I umped an ASA 14-U Invitation only tournament. Here are some interesting things I heard at this tourney:

Game 1: Coach: Blue, where is your strike zone? She's throwing them at the letters.
Umpire: Coach, if she keeps throwing them there I'll keep calling them balls, maybe she should try a little lower.

Game 2: From the peanut gallery: "OH MY GOD BLUE!! Everyone knows that the hands are part of the bat. Why did she get first base on a foul ball???l!!!

Game 3: R1 on 2B, R2 on 1B, 2 outs. Slow roller hit to F6. As she attempts to field it, R1 runs right in front of her causing her to stop to avoid the collision. Easy call, as I call runner out for interference. 1st base coach yells across the field to the head coach: "How can she be out. That's obstruction because the base path belongs to the runner!! He blew it!!" Head coach looks at me and says "Sorry blue, I thought he knew better than that. I'll handle it as soon as I get there."

Game 4: Defensive team is changing pitchers. During her warm up, the offensive coach comes up to me and says the following: " Hey blue. She has to drag her toe. That's a balk and I expect you to call it!"
Answer: "Coach, as long as she drags her foot, she's legal. Besides, I can't remember what the penalty for a balk is." The look he gave was priceless.
After game was over, coach comes up to me and says it's in rule 6, he's read it. I told him I'm not sure what rule book he's reading, but there is no balk in ASA, but there is an illegal pitch to call and I do know the penalty for that.

It was a great day of ball!!

[blueskysblue]

Base coach: Blue, that hit the bat, not his hands!

Me: I know - I called foul ball.

Base coach: But, Blue, the ball hit the bat!

Me: Right - foul ball!

Base coach: Oh, Blue, you're just not paying attention!

[blueskysblue]

Junior college baseball

Head coach, after a close play at second:

Blue, was that a close play?

Me: Yeah, split second, matter of inches.

Head coach: OK, I can understand that. Late tag, was it?

Me: Right.

Head coach: Don't you think my short stop deserved the out more than the runner deserved being safe? He was really trying hard you know!

Me: Walked away, no comment made.

[Rattlehead]

Newer Field with Foul and out of play line painted on grass.

Shallow fly ball in up left field line lands just in foul territory.

3rd Base Coach "C'mon Blue... I saw chalk".

[tcannizzo]

R1 on 1B, B2 hits ground ball to F6, who tosses to F4 at 2B in plenty of time to get R1. However, when F4 put her foot down she missed the bag entirely.

Call SAFE.

Coach comes out to ask about the call. I said coach, "Her foot missed the bag".

He said, "How about the other foot?"

Both looked at each other. Neither one said anything. And we both walked away.

[Andy]

I'm still trying to figure this out from last season. Jr College game, R1 on second, line drive hit to the left center gap. R1 scores easily, BR is trotting into second with an easy double. A few steps from second, BR bumps into F4 just standing there watching the outfielders retrieve the ball and throw it back in. My left arm automatically goes out for OBS, BR stops at second base. Play is over, and I'm preparing to return to position for the next batter.

I hear "time, blue" and here comes the defensive coach. He comes out and asks me what I've got (he saw my DDB signal) I explained the OBS call, F4 in the way of the runner, small collision prior to the runner reaching second. I'm thinking to myself this is no big deal, I'm not going to award any further bases, why is he even out here???

Apparently satisfied with my explanation, he starts back to his dugout. He gets about half way there, turns back toward me and says;

"Don't abuse the rule!"