Submission for quote of the year, 2006

[bobbrix]

Here’s one I’d like to submit for quote of the year, 2006:

Final game at a tournament this weekend … tie game, none on, 2 out, bottom of 4 … ground ball to F5, routine throw to first … except … F3 is not the bag… foot is a couple inches away.

I take a few quick steps closer to be sure I’m seeing this right … F3 catches the ball and trots off the field … I’m calling “Safe, off the bag!”.

The obligatory uproar from the fans on their side ensues.

First coach calls time … comes out to question … seems satisfied with the answer.

Of course, fans on the offense our shouting out support for my call … “Yes, ump was right, she was off the bag!!”

Meanwhile, their other coach is asking his F3 about it.

So, he trots over and says ….

“I just asked her and she told me her foot was on the base. She is a very religious girl, so she wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t true!”

[hotmatt]

That's good. We had this yesterday. Lefty slapper, 2 strikes, pitch comes in, she slaps it foul. Naturally, defensive coach asks PU, "Was that a bunt, Blue?" My partner says no, coach is OK with it, foul ball. Very nice elderly woman sitting behind backstop says, "If it didn't go 15 feet, it's a bunt." Everyone, both dugouts, all nine defenders, the batter, myself and my partner turned to look at her.

That made the rest of a hot dusty day a little more fun. Later in the day, a team that was waiting to play when she said it had a bunt situation, the 3rd base coach gave the batter signals and told her to keep it under 15 feet.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by bobbrix

“I just asked her and she told me her foot was on the base. She is a very religious girl, so she wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t true!”

Hope you told him where to go and pray. Some of the worse trouble I've encountered has come from church leagues.

[Andy]

I had something similar in a HS tournament game earlier this year....

R1 on first, takes off to steal second, F2 throws to F6, I see F6 catch the ball but never move the glove to tag the runner, I call the runner safe.
Def coach comes out to ask what I saw, I told him I never saw a tag. He wasn't happy, but went back to his dugout.

At the conclusion of the inning, same coach comes up to me and says, "My player told me she tagged the girl." I told the coach once again that I did not see a tag.

Coach says..."So are you telling me that my player is lying to me?"

[greymule]

"So are you telling me that my player is lying to me?"

I heard the same nonsense from a coach in 1965, as a 16-year-old umpire. It was long ago, but I remember it well: "Are you calling him [the fielder] a liar?" Haven't heard the same ploy since, though.

Maybe the answer is, "Not at all, Coach. He's probably just hallucinating."

And speaking of nonsense: A few nights ago my BU called a runner out on a dead ball appeal for leaving 2B early on a catch. Older guy in the stands announces to everyone that the umpire blew the call because "the ball has to go back to the mound first before an appeal."

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by Andy

... snip ...
Coach says..."So are you telling me that my player is lying to me?"

No, you are.

[tcannizzo]

Just last week, I was PU.

I call BALL on an inside-low pitch with the batter checked swing.

Batter turns and looks at me and asks, "Did I go?"

I asked her if she wanted help from my partner.

[Mountaineer]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

Just last week, I was PU.

I call BALL on an inside-low pitch with the batter checked swing.

Batter turns and looks at me and asks, "Did I go?"

I asked her if she wanted help from my partner.

I think I would have asked for help - PRAYING my partner said, "Yes she did!"

[Andy]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

Just last week, I was PU.

I call BALL on an inside-low pitch with the batter checked swing.

Batter turns and looks at me and asks, "Did I go?"

I asked her if she wanted help from my partner.

Along the same lines....

I'm working a rec level FP game solo, RH batter checks her swing, I call a ball.
Somebody shouts "go for help, Blue!" I'm having a pretty good time with this game, coaches are low-key, focusing more on instructing and helping the girls have fun, so I decide to have a little fun, too.

I pull off my mask, point down at the first base coach and yell "DID SHE GO?!?" Without hesitation, the coach yells back "YES!" and gives me the hammer!

After I did a double take, I said "OK", adjusted my count, and went back for the next pitch.

I think it took the first base coach about 30 seconds to realize that he had just called a strike on his own batter!

[blu_bawls]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Hope you told him where to go and pray. Some of the worse trouble I've encountered has come from church leagues.

Surprising.

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

PONY 16u tournament; I have the bases. Check swing, my partner calls it a strike...

COACH (to me): Can I appeal that?


PONY 14u tournament. Coach appeals BOO during the AB, then after the inning is over:

COACH: Should I have waited on that BOO?

How I kept from laughing out loud after both of those, Ill never know....