Runners requesting time

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Tom, Tom, Tom.....why is it that you seem offended by that word? There is nothing wrong with being fascinated by something. Fireworks come to mind?

Actually, I wasn't. It was your feigned offense that resulted in my pointing out who started this. I've never had a discussion about how many live ball innings I've had; heck I'd have no idea. It is not something I pay any attention to.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Just like anything else in the game, you can "what if" it to death, you can always find a scenario that doesn't fit the rule.

This is not an unusual scenario, and you're the one who is advocating the slow pitch approach of killing the ball when all play has ended, not me. You said that; you didn't suggest waiting until the ball is in the circle (this time around). Maybe that is because it doesn't speed things up as much as you claim if you wait that long. I still fail to see how calling TIME and suspending play speeds anything up at all. The umpires getting back into position is hardly a big time consumer.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

I was not comparing games. I was demonstrating that the fears of my suggestions affecting the flow of the game are not valid.

Tomayto, tomahto.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

I know Sue Enquist (UCLA) might have had a couple more notches on her belt had my methods been in place in the NCAA a few years back.

OK, it would protect players from stupid mistakes. Maybe we should allow mulligans also. What would work for you? Three a game?

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Darrell, Darrell, Darrell......tsk, tsk, tsk!

It's Larry, Darrell, and Darrell. If I recall, they were from over your way.

PS to those new to this board: This is an old discussion that renews itself every so often, kinda like the profanity rule discussion. All we need is for wade to jump in again on the side of suspending play as a way to speed things up. At least I think that was wade... Wade?

[wadeintothem]

Slide play with nothing else going on.. you got the runner down holding the base, the player holding the tag.. runner requests time - you call time.

Thats the proper thing to do. Thats the way its done in all levels. There is absolutely no valid reason not to call time. In fact you waste time with confusion and attitude NOT calling time, because everyone else knows to call time.

Anything else is a power trip- the umpire has the power to not call time, so they dont - this has nothing to do with the "integrity of the game" or the "flow" of the game or anything else.

[bkbjones]

[post deleted by poster. Who cares about what he thinks...and my list was too damn long.)

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Slide play with nothing else going on.. you got the runner down holding the base, the player holding the tag.. runner requests time - you call time.

I have no problem calling time on this play assuming everything else has stopped.

I DO have a problem calling time on EVERY play (as some umpires I've seen do ... even at the state level --- and every time I come across a guy that does this, I expect him to brush the pitcher's plate between innings and inform the pitcher where the baserunners are after a pitching change ... and I'm rarely disappointed). I also have a problem calling time on every unnecessary runner request - such as plays where the fielder is not holding the runner down with a tag or the ball has even left the area.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Slide play with nothing else going on.. you got the runner down holding the base, the player holding the tag.. runner requests time - you call time.

Thats the proper thing to do. Thats the way its done in all levels. There is absolutely no valid reason not to call time. In fact you waste time with confusion and attitude NOT calling time, because everyone else knows to call time.

Anything else is a power trip- the umpire has the power to not call time, so they dont - this has nothing to do with the "integrity of the game" or the "flow" of the game or anything else.

I agree that the situation you describe warrants a TIME call. Most of us agree on that.

What if neither the runner (nor her coach) requests time? I'll give it a few, and if this is just a cat 'n' mouse game, I call TIME anyway.

That is different, though, from calling time everytime play is apparently over. I very much disagree with calling time when a coach is telling his runner to go and she is not going (yet). Also, MNBlue's example is a good one where calling TIME when play has apparently ended and when everybody knows what is next (CR) would have prevented the defense from getting an out due to an offensive mistake.

If there is a reason to call TIME, do it. If not, don't. I'm not a hard case on keeping the ball live as much as possible. However, only kill it when there is a reason. End of play is not a reason.