Infield fly...ordinary effort?

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

So then this begs the question... Why not adjust? Split the difference and either draw a line between F3 and F4 or between F4 and F6 and stay behind that line? Just make sure you stay on the 1B side of the field.

Does no one else do this?

I asked about doing this once, and our local UIC said no, as well as did our local association president. They had asked the player reps (this league has its own board) if the players were ok with this adjustment. They all said no, because they feared not only for their own safety, but the umpires' as well.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

I asked about doing this once, and our local UIC said no, as well as did our local association president. They had asked the player reps (this league has its own board) if the players were ok with this adjustment. They all said no, because they feared not only for their own safety, but the umpires' as well.

This position was actually discussed at one of our state clinics (I believe it was last year) as an accepted method of getting closer to the bases, but remaining far enough back to keep from getting drilled with a line drive. I THINK it may have been mentioned at the NUS this year as well.

Ronald, do you remember them saying that, or am I getting my clinics mixed together?

[ronald]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

This position was actually discussed at one of our state clinics (I believe it was last year) as an accepted method of getting closer to the bases, but remaining far enough back to keep from getting drilled with a line drive. I THINK it may have been mentioned at the NUS this year as well.

Ronald, do you remember them saying that, or am I getting my clinics mixed together?

You may be mixed up but not on this issue. Taught at the NUS in VA. It is not too often I get to get a punch line in.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by ronald

You may be mixed up but not on this issue. Taught at the NUS in VA. It is not too often I get to get a punch line in.

Okay, wheh. I know I'm crazy, but the question is, "how much?"

So yes, if it's taught at the NUS, I'd say it's a pretty well-accepted position.

Is everyone else familiar with it? Or is anyone unclear on it?

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

I asked about doing this once, and our local UIC said no, as well as did our local association president. They had asked the player reps (this league has its own board) if the players were ok with this adjustment. They all said no, because they feared not only for their own safety, but the umpires' as well.

Bull****! They couldn't care less about our safety.

Speaking ASA, for the purpose of interference rules, the umpire who is behind a direct line of the two nearest fielders on each side of the umpire is behind the infielder.

BTW, in the games I was doing, all the infielders were deep. If I moved up the middle behind a line running from F4 and F6, I was still a good 30-35' behind 2B.

The real ***** is that none of these moronic players just kept hitting the ball as hard as possible which gave the infielders time to field the ball and throw them out. If any of them hit a routing ground ball, they would never put him out unless it was right back to the pitcher.

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Bull****! They couldn't care less about our safety.

I've actually had a 2B say "blue, you're a little bit close for your own safety" when I lined up on the 2B shoulder side of the 1B and almost in a direct line to where 2B was standing. I told him I'll be fine. He shrugged his shoulders. Nothing happened, but I was quizzed by our association president a couple days later because 2B or his team rep called in the next day to state their "concern" for my positioning.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

I've actually had a 2B say "blue, you're a little bit close for your own safety" when I lined up on the 2B shoulder side of the 1B and almost in a direct line to where 2B was standing. I told him I'll be fine. He shrugged his shoulders. Nothing happened, but I was quizzed by our association president a couple days later because 2B or his team rep called in the next day to state their "concern" for my positioning.

I don't think they were as concerned with your safety as they were with your positioning as an umpire who is going to make a call.

Whenever I split the difference, I decide where I'm going to go based off of a number of things. Is it a righthanded or lefthanded batter? Do I see him aiming for 3B line, 1B line, or up the middle? Where are the fielders?

With no runners on (or a lone runner on 3B), I usually split the difference between F3 and F4 with a righthanded batter. Very rarely will I do this with a leftie. If I've got a leftie, I usually split the difference between F4 and F6.

It all depends on their positioning and where this split will put me as a result. If it gets me too far out of position, I'll just suck it up and park my butt behind F4, ready to haul butt when the ball's hit.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

I've actually had a 2B say "blue, you're a little bit close for your own safety" when I lined up on the 2B shoulder side of the 1B and almost in a direct line to where 2B was standing. I told him I'll be fine. He shrugged his shoulders. Nothing happened, but I was quizzed by our association president a couple days later because 2B or his team rep called in the next day to state their "concern" for my positioning.

Obviously, the midwest player is a different animal than those in the Midatlantic area.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Obviously, the midwest player is a different animal than those in the Midatlantic area.

"Church league... softball... fistfight..."

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

"Church league... softball... fistfight..."

Yeah, but they prayed first.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Yeah, but they prayed first.

Oh, well... I stand corrected! They must all be saints...

And I'm sure most of them have set foot in the church at least once, right?

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Yeah, but they prayed first.

This line reminds me of a story my former white hat in football told me once about doing college basketball. There used to be an annual tournament of the Concordia Colleges/Universities in the midwest, in which he worked once when it came to Nebraska. He said it was quite amusing that they'd do the introductions and the prayer and all that, and then two minutes into one of the games they'd have about 3 technical fouls called and maybe someone ejected already. The other guys on our crew looked at him like he was BS'ing. That was right before we stepped on the field to work a 8-man game between a Christian school and a Catholic School. Lo and behold, they knew he wasn't BS'ing after we got done.