bizarre scenario, what to do here?

[Mark T. DeNucci, Sr.]

Originally Posted by bniu

I've got a bizarre scenario that has almost happened to me a few times in the last few weeks.

Right handed Batter hits a pitch very weakly, the ball comes to a complete stop in the left handed batter's box in the upper corner that IS in fair territory. I CLEARLY signal fair ball, batter thinks it's foul, catcher thinks it's foul, pitcher think's it's foul, everyone on both teams (coaches included) think it's foul. Catcher picks up the ball and returns it to the pitcher, and they get ready for the next pitch. HOWEVER, the play ISN'T over, right? What do I do now? Keep pointing the ball fair? Say that the play isn't over? Yell "FAIR!"? Call the batter-runner out?

And the batter stays up there to bat, do I call her out on that play for failing to run to first and let her bat in the wrong order now or do I correct it?

These are two Mustang teams who don't really pay that much attention to the situation and the coaches aren't really known for their knowledge of the rules. You'd be surprised to see how many coaches think it's ALWAYS a foul ball when the ball comes to rest in either of the two batter's boxes.

bniu:

I had a similar situation a few years ago in a USSSA girls' fastpitch tournament. The age group for the game was 12U.

Left-handed batter bunts the ball downward. The ball strikes the HP and rolls forward in to fair territory and stops about six inches in front of HP. The B/R runs to first, I side step to the left and point toward fair territory, pumping my arm three or four times, while F2 just stands looking at me. The B/R reaches first base and the catcher then picks up the ball, and her coach comes running out of the dugout yelling time.

I grant the D-HC request for time and here is how our conversation went:

D-HC: "What's the call blue?" Note: USSSA umpires wear red, .

ME: "What do you mean coach?"

D-HC: "Wasn't the ball foul?"

ME: "No, it was fair."

D-HC: "Then why didn't you tell my catcher it was fair?"

ME: "I did."

D-HC: "No you didn't."

ME: "I sure did coach."

D-HC: "You never said anything."

ME: "I know I didn't say anything coach. I pointed toward fair terrritory."

D-HC: "My catcher didn't know what you were doing. You are supposed to tell her the ball was fair."

ME: "I did tell her it was fair. I pointed toward fair territory."

D-HC: "You have to tell her it was fair."

ME: "No coach. The rules/mechanics state that the umpire will verbalize a foul ball while pointing toward foul territory for a foul ball and will only point toward fair territory for a fair ball. And that is what I did."

D-HC: "She doesn't know that. You have to tell her it was fair."

ME: "I did coach, remember. The B/R knew it was a fair ball. We need to play ball now."

I know I let the conversation go long but the game had a time limit, the D team was getting beat pretty badly, and the temperature was in the mid-90's F. If D-HC wanted to chat, meaning I could stand there and not have to expend any energy in that kind of heat, who am I to not chat with him, .

MTD, Sr.