Played BU last night
 

DD's travel team had a scrimmage last night. Before the game, her coach asked me to be an umpire (they were taking a parent from each team). I agreed to do the bases.

Thanks to reading here, I had a vague idea of where to be & when. I did actually move around the bases and didn't stay in one place. So thanks for the knowledge you guys have passed along even if you didn't know it. I know my mechanics weren't right, but I did the best I could.

Two questions about plays though...

1) B/R hits ground ball to F6. Throw to 1st is high. B/R touches 1st then ball goes into dugout (yes, that was the order). Obvious dead ball. B/R should go to 3rd, right? Coach put her on 2nd.

2) R1 on 2nd trying to steal 3rd. Ball gets to F5 who tags R1 in the stomach. Ball beat runner by about a step. R1 was in the process of starting to slide. On the tag, she goes down hard and starts screaming. She hurt her ankle. Ends up carried off the field. After the game when back with team's parents, apparently a parent or coach from the girl's team made a comment that F5 was blocking the bag. Since F5 had the ball by the time R1 got there, there's not a question about obstruction, right?

The award is based from the time the ball was thrown, not when it entered dead ball territory. 2B is correct.
You have to judge whether you felt R1 was hindered by F5 without possesion of the ball. If she was hindered without F5 having possesion, OBS. If she wasn't hindered, no OBS. If she had possesion when she hindered, no OBS.

That's an oversimplification but for the most part it is correct.

Thanks Mark!

To clarify a tad on obstruction. I know umpires who think "hinder" means contact. It doesn't.

If, while the ball is not in possession of F5, the runner slowed, veered, changed direction (or yes, contacted F5), and the umpire deems this slowing, veering, etc was BECAUSE OF the fielder being in the way ... yes, you have obstruction.

It could be, but in your case it sounds like it wasn't.....still HTBT....

To paraphrase an old Supreme Court justice....."I will know it when I see it...."....:rolleyes:

It can many times be black and white....and many times fall into that grey area......that is when Umpire judgement comes into play......

I am sure you did before...but I bet that you now have a bit greater respect for the job umpires do on the field now that you entered the dark side for even a little.

Joel

That quote came from Jacobellis v. Ohio 378 U.S. 187 (1964) and was by Associate Justice Potter Stewart.

"I shall not attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthanded description ["hardcore pornography"]; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that."

Probably the most famous quote ever by a Justice.

HTBT?
Oh, I do, lol. When the coach asked me, my first reflex was 'can I go to official forum real quick?' :D

Fortunately only one call was 'bang-bang'.

HTBT <---- Had to be there.

Joel