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Tue Apr 23, 2002, 05:49pm
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This was recently discussed.........I am not sure if it was here or another board........
Last night......... Me PU........bases juiced.........partner in "C"..... Screaming worm-burner right on the 3rd Base Line..........It nicks the foul side of the base and takes an extreme kick towards foul territory and finally lands about 10 foul..........it rolled almost to the outfield fence....... As soon as I saw it nick the base.........I pointed fair......and saw my partner parrot my fair call........ The catcher started hollering........"Foul Ball"........and the Home fans were all hollering the same........... Fielders.........runners......all slow down........... I am doing everything but jumping up and down pointing fair.........(but I am.........still continuing to point aggressively)....... The runner on 3rd makes it almost home and turns and looks at me.........and questions (with a very dumbfounded look on her face).........."That was a foul ball.........right?" I point fair even more vigorously..............the 3rd base coach finally gets the message and tells his runners to run.......... They could have easily scored 3 if they would have not had their head up their butts...........but only 2 runs crossed the plate.......... Also.........had a situation where only 2 players made it to the plate which resulted in 3 outs........... #8 and #9 switched positions and both struck out.........next batter up and coach appeals a BOO.........yup coach, your right..........proper batter is out........(which by this point should have been the #1 batter) strike out stands...........3 outs.............grin Never had that happen before............. BTW...........this was a 16U game......... BUT...........not a peep out of the coaches........they knew when they blew it.............grin Joel 
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Tue Apr 23, 2002, 08:55pm
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The catcher started yelling foul ball after you signaled a fair ball. The catcher's actions caused the runners to slow down and in your opinion more runners could have scored. Sounds like the catcher committed obstruction. I do not profess to be a real rules guru and would entertain any comments.
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Mark T. DeNucci, Sr. Trumbull Co. (Warren, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn. Wood Co. (Bowling Green, Ohio) Bkb. Off. Assn. Ohio Assn. of Basketball Officials International Assn. of Approved Bkb. Officials Ohio High School Athletic Association Toledo, Ohio
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Tue Apr 23, 2002, 09:10pm
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Mark,
I would tend to agree with you, but there is nothing in the book to support such a call. Another option, though possibly more punitive, would be to eject the catcher for USC. Regardless, I would have a bit of a talk with the catcher, and possibly the coach, outlining what WILL happen the next time the catcher decides to attempt to do my job.
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The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
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Wed Apr 24, 2002, 09:01am
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I did have a chat with the catcher and told her to leave the umpiring to me...............grin
But there was not a player on that field that did not know me..........and EVERYONE KNOWS when I call a close foul ball........... I had previously coached the runner on third in both 12U and 14U ball..............she still does not have a clue........ Joel
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Wed Apr 24, 2002, 09:39am
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But "interference" specifically allows verbal interference, so why isn't the same true for obstruction? (A question for the rules committee, I suppose.) The definition of obstruction says, in part, Obstruction is the act of a fielder who is not... (yadda, yadda)... which impedes the progress of a runner ... contact is not necessary... Did the act of the catcher impede the progress of the runners without contact? Arguably, yes. Sure, it was by creating confusion rather than by being physically in the way. Would a ruling of obstruction based on this stand up? Got me. What do you think?
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Wed Apr 24, 2002, 08:59pm
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I think I could sell verbal obstruction. Whether it gets reversed or not, I haven't a clue.
The only problem with a protest is that there is no definitive reference on which to hang my call. OTOH, unlike fielders, runners are allowed to have three non-active players to offer directions in the base coaches and the on-deck batter.
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The bat issue in softball is as much about liability, insurance and litigation as it is about competition, inflated egos and softball.
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Wed Apr 24, 2002, 10:02pm
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Dakota..........
Sometimes you just gotta chalk it up to dumbness on the part of one side or the other........ Here is a hypothetical......... 18U game.........Runner stealing on a swinging strike........SS comes over and puts the tag down late on a beautiful Pop-up slide........Umpire sells a safe call...... BUT.......F6 jokingly tells the runner that it was a foul ball........runner starts heading back to first and is easily tagged............ What do you do? Joel
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Thu Apr 25, 2002, 09:39am
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There does seem to be a boundary somewhere between a little "boy were you stupid to fall for that" trickery and outright "verbal obstruction" (assuming there is such a thing). In your original scenario, you were there and saw it as "boy were you stupid to fall for that and not look for my signal", and honestly, that is almost certainly what I would have done, too. Just in general, though, it seem like there should be something in the rules less than USC that can be called for intentional defensive verbal confusion.
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Thu Apr 25, 2002, 09:42am
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Good point about the extra people on the playing field who are allowed to be verbal to their own team. Maybe that explains the difference in the rule.
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Thu Apr 25, 2002, 05:14pm
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I know that you ask Dakota the question, but I can answer from 1st hand experience. Last year in 16U State ASA tournament I had this play, and I had an out with no disagreements. The runner looked a little puzzled but went back to dugout. Coach did not say a word, to me.....but probably a whole lot to the expired runner...grin glen
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glen _______________________________ "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." --Mark Twain.
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