Patience

[MD Longhorn]

R1 on 2nd not really stealing. Defense is one of those that yells "Run her all the way back" if any runner is a millimeter off a base. Coach is clueless and crappy, parents not that much better. F2 lobs to third. F5 runs her ALL the way back (within tagging distance), turns to throw to pitcher. R1 makes to leave 2nd so F5 doesn't throw the ball.

Coach then yells at her to come back toward 3rd before throwing to pitcher (no ... he doesn't tell someone else to cover 3rd - maybe because only the 3rd baseman could catch... my shinguards know the catcher couldn't!). Of course, R1 comes a full scary yard off the bag. F5 stands there, half cocked, not throwing, R1 stands there.

Literally 10 seconds later, I mumble, "Got a chair?" to the 3B coach (they were up 11-0 or somesuch at the time) and he tells his runner to go back.

I know there are some that would call time and just end the nonsense. I'm not that guy, but I almost became that guy. This play (and the same damn play on the next 2 pitches) was typical of this yawnfest.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Literally 10 seconds later, I mumble, "Got a chair?" to the 3B coach (they were up 11-0 or somesuch at the time) and he tells his runner to go back.

I know there are some that would call time and just end the nonsense. I'm not that guy, but I almost became that guy. This play (and the same damn play on the next 2 pitches) was typical of this yawnfest.

After 3 seconds, I would have noticed how dirty the plate is and suspended play to clean it.

Just another example as to why the LBR has little value, IMO.

[SamG]

A couple years ago, I was a 1st year Asst. Coach. My DD was a 1st year pitcher (10U). R1 on third. DD pitches the ball, R1 leads off. Catcher starts walking her back, R1 gets to the the bag. C throws back to DD (who had gone to cover home while C walked up the baseline. Before DD gets back to the circle, 3rd base coach says "go"! R1 starts toward home. DD chases her back to 3rd.

DD walks back to circle. Just before she steps in the circle... "go". DD chases her back to 3rd.
DD walks back to circle. Just before she steps in the circle... "go". DD chases her back to 3rd.
DD walks back to circle. Just before she steps in the circle... "go". DD chases her back to 3rd.
(are you getting the idea yet?)

C wasn't a very good catcher otherwise I would have had DD throw home. DD almost caught R1 at one point. Once DD finally got to the circle with R1 still on bag, I called time. I go out to the circle and she's in tears. She couldn't pitch anymore.

This went on for 5-10 minutes. Talking to BU at a later game he said he spent the rest of the game calling his assigner (or someone) to see if any action could have been taken against the coach.

Did I mention this was 10U rec? The coach got kicked out of league later that summer for something (I never found out what).

[ASA/NYSSOBLUE]

My turn. Where do I start?

Okay - lets try my 'partner'.... 'Walt' might be the poster child of old style umpires. Name an old mechanic, and he just might use it. He is also the classic, "widen that zone for me boy, so we can get out of here' type. (Although...admittedly, I don't blame him - he is married to an ex-ROCKETTE ). 'Walt' is somewhere in his late 60'S..maybe early 70's, and is also one of those whose last act before going up to the field is taking that last drag on his ciggy (yes, on SCHOOL PROPERTY).

Lets try the setting - a school field that is literally on top of a hill where one either walks up about 50 steps, or steep drive to get to the top. It is ALWAYS windy up there, and the fence surrpunding the field - where there IS one - is about 5 ft high, so you go thru balls like water, Speaking of which, afer a very cool and wet April so far, yesterday it decided to shoot up to like 80 degrees..and yes, Guess Who had the plate?

This was a matchup of two what NY calls Class C teams ( NY deleinates by school enrollment) at the JV level. The pregame was ok, but then the home team gives me its lineup on....a full sized sheet of paper...terrific.

The game starts up , and it is not TOO terrible, typical low to mid level JV around here.The visiting teams pitcher doing a lot of arm swinging before her delivery, and I finally had to nail her for starting and stopping her delivery. Lots of D3Ks, lotsof BBs, and especially by the visitors, lots of hesitant fielding. My friend 'Walt' then comes in the picture. Runner on 1st....B hits a little looper just beyond 1B, takes a little spin, and rolls foul in BACK of the bag, with me properly pointing 'fair'. Guess what happens, my dear friend calls "FOUL" and everything stops. Both sides look at him very questionably, and I am shooting daggers at him. He finally realizes what happened and we correct matters.

After the longest three innings you can imagine, it is 9-7 for the home team. When they go out for the 4th, all of a sudden I hear POP from the catchers glove - the home coach put her #1 in. This kid, unlike her teammate, could hit corners - with some pop on them. Talk about a relief! Three very quick Ks later, the visiting coach puts another P in, and whereas the first one was high and wide and low, at least this kid could put the ball in the hitting zone. So the home team started cuffing her around pretty good, and we got out of there in 5, 23-8....still took us 1:45 to get thru 5.....sigh....a long season ahead...