Question on LL
 

Something I noticed at my nieces LL softball playoffs that I did not think much of until today while watching LL baseball regionals.

The umpires make a safe call w/signal when a runner touches the plate or 1B whether there is a play or not. Is that just the umpires I happened to see or is that a practiced mechanic for LL ball?

BTW, I'm watching NH v CT and this guy must be a softball umpire giving every bit of the corners, and maybe then some. And that is a good thing!

Watching the Senior LL Softball on ESPN 2. Home Plate umpire using baseball strike mechanics.

Notice the corn fields beyond the outfield fence. This place is in the middle of nowhere.

I don't know. OBS was the obvious call, but from behind the play it looked like the runner initiated contact laying the shoulder into the catcher instead of going for the plate.

I would ask if LL allows for "about to receive", but then I heard the TH say the catcher is allowed to be there because the ball was on the way. If they said it, it must be true. :rolleyes:

In my area we only give the safe sign if there is a play. Everyone is different, of course;)

"About to receive" was removed from the LL baseball/softball books about 6 years ago. As in ASA or NFHS the fielder must have the ball.

I'll be at our World Series in Portland tomorrow and Monday, so you might get some "bonus coverage" before the TV games. The best parts of being there: The ice cream at the concession stand (the fields are owned by the dairy that makes Baskin & Robbins)...and not hearing Michele Smith!:D

Watching the NJ/PR game on ESPN. I know the plate umpire. He is a high school baseball ump. Calling the strike zone like I would, but using baseball style signals.

I'm new here but I though the comment about the hands being part of the bat was laughable too.

Welcome to the board!

You are correct, it is laughable. I missed the actual pitch, so I'm not sure if the umpire was correct or not.

I don't know, there were some worm burners called strikes. :D

Thanks for the welcome.

Batter squared to offer on a bunt attempt and the ball hit her upper, right, hand.

OC was looking for the HBP and award.
Umpire called dead ball and a ball since her hand was out of the zone.

Commentator said there was no HBP award because "the hand is part of the bat". I can't believe that myth is still kept alive by idiots like this.

Indiana v Ohio in BB Great Lakes Regional.

THs just made similar statement. "If swinging it would be a foul ball because the hands are part of the bat". But since the batter checked up, it was HBP.

Got it wrong, again! Where do they get these morons?

JF trains them.:eek:

Another things I've noticed. Some of the plate umpires don't remove the mask for much of anything except between inning and communicating with a coach and the BUs are calling time to brush the base anytime a player slides into a base.

Guess they are not chewing REDMAN then. :rolleyes:

Did you catch the TH explanation of how an appeal must be made? "The pitcher must step on the rubber, the ball put in play. He then must step off and have time granted..." Hoo boy. :rolleyes:

Ouch!! PU in the IN/OH game (11th inning) gets knocked over by the catcher on a foul pop.

Earlier in the game there was a near collision. The PU has a bad habit of looking up for the ball instead of watching the catcher.

Of course, his partners were probably saying that taking them 11 innings, he deserved to get knocked on his tail :D

And, as usual, the visiting team has decided to have a season-making inning and put up 7 runs.

I saw that, it looked quite...painful. It also looked like the catcher might've given him some assistance on his way down. :D

Fortunately it seems he is OK. It also served as an important lesson to read the catcher, open the gate and let him/her take you to the ball.

Agreed. Low strike zone and that might be a result of working a lot of baseball and not a lot of upper level softball.

That is the kind of game I always get in finish the inning timed games.:D

Wait a minute, those games are not taking place here.:D

Nor are they at Hess Field in State College, PA!

Lower, slower DE where you either grow corn, alfalfa or chickens!

Nothing wrong with any of that.

Really? Last year the Dept. of Homeland Security targeted propane as a possible terrorist target. That means they were in Sussex County, DE since that is one of the largest chicken farm areas in the country. Since propane is used to heat the coops, it was deemed a possible target.

http://www.dpichicken.org/index.cfm?...details&id=290

Your tax dollars at work!

Other than the kitchen timer on the fence, this has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves.

Especially when they interrupt an at bat to do that, as in a stolen base.

LOL:D

Work with a blue who is rock solid. But he does the interrupt the game thing always.

Here's a recent example. I'm PU. He's BU. 14 U Championship game of the Association. R1 on 2b,R2 on 1B. 2-2 count on batter. Ball in the dirt. Both runners steal. Now we have full count, runners on 2b & 3B. Full count,1 run game 7th inning....The tension is thick, everybody at the complex is watching the game. I hear a big "TIME". So we stop play,I'm wondering does my partner have something......He does-he runs across the diamond to clean 1B off. I laugh inside. He is also pretty slow about his janitorial duties.Lots of grumbling from the peanut gallery. I'm quietly amazed and amused by it all. So we wait for him, I kid you not it takes about a minute from "TIME" to him getting back into position in the C slot.....

I ask him about it. The "man" who does the college hiring around here wants squeaky clean bases and so it is....:rolleyes:

I guess it's in Rome do as the Romans do thing......

And Shoeless Joe retrieves the home runs at the end of the night.

Got to love the shout out for Nittany Lion Country!!

And before anyone starts, the "squad" in town will NOT be contending.

So, this is an NCAA thing? :rolleyes:

NO, Emily says, if you can see (some of) it, it is clean enough. The players know where the bases are so don't hold up a game unless absolutely necessary and never stop a game (eg. sit above) unless it is buried.

Funny you would say that. The NCAA coordinator around here insists it is an ASA thing.:D :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

And gets upset when she's told that isn't an ASA mechanic. It's just one of those pathetic things that people have done because they think they should; like telling a substitute pitcher where the runners are.

I can understand an occasional need to brush a base, but the guys I was watching, were cleaning off a fully visible base. I mean there may have been a slight spray of dirt over the base.

BTW, another LL question.

The last few years I've been watching, boys or girls, I do not recall seeing a female umpire on TV. I know they are out there, but do they get a chance to advance.

Actuall, PU at the last game yesterday was a woman. Did a very solid job and it would be great if she got one of the TV games. There was also a woman out here last year, and about 8 or 9 years ago a woman got the world championship plate at Williamsport.

Didn't see any brushing off bases, but there was a BU who was quite vigilant about signaling foul balls off the backstop, but on the one ripped a couple feet wide of the bag...just a sharp point, no verbal...?

Overall they look all right this year.

Steve,

Don't tell me you have forgotten the days of ASA teaching us to brush in unison (regardless of how clean the base was) and then touch the brush to our fingertips when the last one was done so that we all could "break" to our positions at the same time? I know that was years ago...and things have gotten better...but old habits are hard to break!!

I can still remember LF telling us....I don't care how close to the line you stand in between innings......just as long as you are no more than 1/4 inch from it!!!!

Those were the days my friend!! :)

Sure, I remember that. It (sweeping the bases) was done between innings, after the "throw down", so as to not break the flow of the game. No one taught us to call time every time someone slides into a base to brush it. And that is what these clowns are doing, and thinking it makes them look professional.

And, speaking of professional, I don't recall EVER seeing a MLB umpire sweep a bag.

Oh....I agree with you. I was just pointing out how anal we used to be...whether it was between innings or any other time!! And the challenge of breaking old habits....or doing things without a substantive reason...just because we were told to?

Rarely see them sweep much of anything. However, over the past couple of years, I have seen umpires use their feet to clean the plate.