ASA 2009 Casebook Play Confusion

[tcannizzo]

Originally Posted by ASA 2009 Casebook and Play 1-57J
[I

R1 should know their coach's voice and instruction. (1-OBSTRUCTION-B)[/I]

So, if the OC yelled "GO", but then the DC yelled, "DEAD BALL..." causing the runner to stop and then be tagged out, is the runner supposed to know the difference between the DC and Umpire's voice?

[Steve M]

Originally Posted by tcannizzo

So, if the OC yelled "GO", but then the DC yelled, "DEAD BALL..." causing the runner to stop and then be tagged out, is the runner supposed to know the difference between the DC and Umpire's voice?

Stop and think about that for a minute, Tony.
In the casebook, the defense - player and/or coach - yells an instruction to the runner that the runner's own base coach normally yells. The runner is expected to know their coach's voice.
In your variation - it's entirely different - you have the defense yelling something that an umpire would normally yell. I do not see the casebook as saying that.

[tcannizzo]

What you write makes some sense. . .
a.) the ruling is specific to the play specified in the case book
b.) my question would be a different play
c.) players certainly recognize their coaches voice

. . . but there are a number of variables that make this ruling retarded, especially from a JO perspective.

a.) players are instructed to react, not to think and analyze and turn to the coach and ask "Gee, was that you coach? I wasn't 100% sure."
b.) in the heat of the moment, confusion is much easier to create.
c.) I can think of numerous cases where the coach is the dad and the runner is the daughter and the runner would get confused if it came from another coach
d.) new coach
e.) new player
f.) player doesn't normally make it to 3B
g.) early in the season

It is a deliberate attempt at confusing and hindering a runner.
Often it is quite effective, although considered quite bush.
However, this ruling validates bush, rather than attempting to raise the bar for professionalism by the adult participants.

By putting the responsibility on youth players, ASA has given free license to unethical adults to mis-behave without penalty which many would consider condoning bush league antics.

Just my 2 cents.

[Dakota]

Lots of things are considered "bush" that are perfectly legal...

The umpire could always go with USC if he judged it to be that bad.