txfp blue recourse thread reminded me of this coach...

[first2third]

So we are officiating a 14 under accelerated tournament. There is this obvious rec team playing with the big girls. No big deal usually. However there coach was the funniest piece of work ever. First inning a ball tailing down the third base line from a left handed batter lands 6-7feet foul. "time blue. (He comes into talk to me) the ball was in the air in fair territory as it went past third." I say yeah so? "Then we have a fair ball" I say ??? but coach it never once landed in fair territory so it is a foul ball. "That doesn't matter talk to your partner" I say coach it's a foul ball lets play. Later in the at bat the girl bunts a third strike foul while running through the box. I call her out. "time blue (oh no here we go again) she was slapping ask your partner for help" I'm thinking no but... hey this one I might of missed something so I will ask my partner if he saw anything different. He confirms bunt and I call her out. "Hold on, if she is running through the batters box it is a slap not a bunt." No coach there must be a swing to be a slap. "Well, I taught her to slap that way" what could I say? (a lot..starting with "I bet you did...doesn't surprise me etc" but not appropriate nor respectful) so I simply say shes out let's play ball.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by first2third

"Well, I taught her to slap that way" what could I say? (a lot..starting with "I bet you did...doesn't surprise me etc" but not appropriate nor respectful).

But why? Did you just not post in another thread that we take ourselves too seriously? If it is true...............

[jmkupka]

Just seems like this year has had so many more of these incidents than the past... multiple foul-offs of slaps (in a single at-bat) with the DC complaining about bunt attempts.
I'd like your feedback on the criteria you use to distinguish the two. Some attempts surely get into the grey area, (hands apart from each other 3-4", but the hand by the knob is stationary while the other pushes the bat well forward, entire body moving forward from the back of the box)

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by jmkupka

Just seems like this year has had so many more of these incidents than the past... multiple foul-offs of slaps (in a single at-bat) with the DC complaining about bunt attempts.
I'd like your feedback on the criteria you use to distinguish the two. Some attempts surely get into the grey area, (hands apart from each other 3-4", but the hand by the knob is stationary while the other pushes the bat well forward, entire body moving forward from the back of the box)

Umpires have been making these judgments for decades and I really don't care what the coach thinks.

A swing is the effort of a player to strike the ball with the bat. A bunt is when the player holds the bat in a certain position in an effort to tap the ball with little (or no) force.

[argodad]

Is the bat head moving faster than the hands? Probably a swing. If it isn't moving faster than the hands, probably a bunt. Then we get paid to make the judgement.

Originally Posted by first2third

So we are officiating a 14 under accelerated tournament. There is this obvious rec team playing with the big girls. No big deal usually. However there coach was the funniest piece of work ever. First inning a ball tailing down the third base line from a left handed batter lands 6-7feet foul. "time blue. (He comes into talk to me) the ball was in the air in fair territory as it went past third." I say yeah so? "Then we have a fair ball" I say ??? but coach it never once landed in fair territory so it is a foul ball. "That doesn't matter talk to your partner" I say coach it's a foul ball lets play. Later in the at bat the girl bunts a third strike foul while running through the box. I call her out. "time blue (oh no here we go again) she was slapping ask your partner for help" I'm thinking no but... hey this one I might of missed something so I will ask my partner if he saw anything different. He confirms bunt and I call her out. "Hold on, if she is running through the batters box it is a slap not a bunt." No coach there must be a swing to be a slap. "Well, I taught her to slap that way" what could I say? (a lot..starting with "I bet you did...doesn't surprise me etc" but not appropriate nor respectful) so I simply say shes out let's play ball.

Geee, I think I had this guy as a player in slow-pitch!

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Ref Ump Welsch

Geee, I think I had this guy as a player in slow-pitch!

I think I had this guy as a partner once. Sad.

Originally Posted by NCASAUmp

I think I had this guy as a partner once. Sad.

Now that you mention it...*life flashing before my eyes*