Conversation heard at the ball park.
 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, People of all ages I give to you for your entertainment... Well I'll let you decide.

(btw... this is not meant to be condenscending to any association or people other than... well as I said above, I'll let you decide.)

Slow Pitch A.S.A. State Championship tournament, Sunday afternoon.

R1 on 1b, line drive caught by SS who then throws the ball to 1b trying to catch R1 off the bag. Ball sails over fence 1b dugout. As the Umpires discuss the situation the UIC walks up so the 3 of them discuss then award bases accordingly.

None of this is relevant other than the fact that the score keeper on this particular diamond is an NSA registered SP umpire that works league games at this particular complex during the week and has tried desparately to input his supreme knowledge of everything slow pitch softball into every sitch on that diamond, up to and including the dimensions of the batters box and why "this guy is out of the box, but that one wasn't."

Later in the day, during the final game, this same score keeper is sitting within a group of umpires that were done for the day, relaxing/watching the final game. I will try to remember the coversation as I heard it.

Score Keeper Guy (I'll now refer to him as SKG): "hey, on that play where the ball was thrown over the fence. If the runner didn't tag up and the defense appeals it, is he out?
Tournament UIC (now UIC): Yes
SKG: How, you can't make two calls on the same play?
UIC: It's not two calls, it's one call.
SKG: The ball was dead, you can't make two calls on one dead ball.
UIC: Look. What's the call on a banger at 1b if the BR beats the throw but misses the bag?
SKG: He's safe unless the Defense appeals.
Other Umpire 1 (Now U1): There's your answer
SKG: No thats different, thats a dead ball play. This was a Dead ball appeal.
UIC: What?
U2: It's the same thing.
SKG: No it's not...
UIC. Look, what if the same thing happens and the runner is awarded 3b but he doesn't touch 2b on the way. Do you call him out?
SKG: Not unless the other team appeals.
U3: there you go.
SKG: It's not the same thing.
the conversation went in this same manner until it ended with the following statement...

SKG: This is why ASA sucks. You guys have way to many rules.

Yikes. Just... Yikes.

Thank the good lord for having scorers and umpires separated overhere! An umpire does not! keep the score, a scorer does not! umpire. Haleluja. Your problem can not fly overhere.:)




Uuuuuuuuuh...:eek:

Is there any reason to take SKG's passport away? At least than he can't get into our country. Hold him, lock him up. Don't let him out. I'm deadserious; this guy is dangerous! For the love of our sport, take away his licence to umpire and don't let him keep the score ever again... Reject him from your ballparks.
Can't he move to baseball?:D

I'm still trying to figure out the difference between a dead ball appeal and a dead ball play. (or even what a dead ball play is...)

I guess I could have asked but I was afraid I would catch whatever he had.

:)

I don't have to tell you about dead ball appeal.

However
A Dead ball play is a contradictio in termini!!! A play is never a dead ball, nor the other way around.
Think of "instand water", a pouder that gives water if a little water is added...

No one mentions to SKG that these plays would have all been the same in any other ruleset?

There. Finished it for him. :D

Absolutely. As a matter of fact it was mentioned early in the conversation that he should look up the case plays or even read this forum. The reply was akin to the look a dog gives when it hears a strange noise.

You mean like the sound of logic?