Things I learned at nationals
 

Just got home from working my first ASA nationals, 16-18B Westerns. Here are some things I learned from my experience.

On a pick off attempt of the runner at 3rd, if the catcher drills the runner in the rib cage, it is a dead ball, runner must return to 3rd.

F3 straddling 1st base cannot be obstruction because she is giving full access to the front edge of the base to the runner.

F3 planting foot in front of bag on pick off attempt also not obstruction because runner can easily reach around foot.

Obstruction cannot be called if no play is being made on the runner. (This is really nit picking the rules according to the coach.)

Batter/runner is not out for running 3' outside the base path on tag attempt as long as they remain inside the running lane. (Forget the fact the girl ran almost to the dugout fence.)

Batter must have both feet completely outside the batters box when the bat first makes contact with the ball to be called out.

Just some of the better ones I remember from this past week. But to be completely serious, I met a lot of nice people and good umpires and had a great time working with them and got a lot of usefull feedback from the UIC and assistant UIC. Probably one of the more important things I learned is no matter how well you think you are hydrating yourself, drink some more. I thought I had been drinking plenty of fluids throughout the week, but by sunday the tank was dry and after my final plate game I got to get visited by the EMTs for heat exhaustion.

All in all I had a great time and look forward to more in the future.

14U USA/ASA @ Midland. Late Saturday afternoon elimination game(winner goes to Sunday ball) between two teams from a 'warm weather/sea side state' that the two teams knew each other very well as they played about 25 miles apart.

1-0 ball game in the bottom of the 4th with home team behind and runners on first and third with one out. R2 on first had been 'on the envelope' when not stealing, but is at least a step and a half off the bag on a steal attempt and I bang her for leaving early. (3 man system)

Here is the fallout:

'you don't make that call in a game like this, cause that is a game changing call
'let the girls play'
'we teach our girls to rock on the motion'
'you called dead ball even before she left the bag'
'thats rec league'
'she has never been called for that all year long'

Then to make matters worse, on our field the first base foul lines were not chalked all the way down through the grass, so my plate umpire decided that he would call all balls on the line for fair/foul as we on the lines might not have a good frame of reference. So on a line drive on the foul line where this was not even close to being a catch/no catch situation , I button hook into a 'modified A' position to give my plate a clear view of the status. Then I hear for a few more batters:

'this guy doesn't even know what he is doing, he didn't even go out on the foul ball.'

The worst thing about all of this was that they were on the 1st base dugout, and for 2 plus innings I could not get water from my jug. :D

The best thing is that my plate ump came to me after the game and said that he thought the girl was off the bag as well and that it was a great call. But he did add.... 'better you than me'...lol

It only changes the game because your runner left early. :p

I am, both teams on a level playing field :)

Congratulations, maybe you should work on their timing, also :rolleyes:

Really? :eek:

Then maybe you should bring your tournament team the next time :D

Then she probably didn't leave early all year long. This time she did. Now we are back to the timing issue. ;)

And what umpire school did he attend?

Why not? That the best time to get water. :cool:

Happy birthday, Blue! ;)

There was a 16&U coach who would not accept an IP being a ball because the pitcher did not release the ball. :rolleyes:
Kept it up until deciding to protest and the UIC had to settle it.

Mike, you pretty much responded verbatim to what was going through my head at the time, but I simply 'took it' as I was confident in the call (or I would not have made it in the first place) :D

Yeah....an ASA National might not be the best place to use some of those responses....


I called a runner out for leaving early at the 18Gold and her coach thanked me! He said that she is already fast and doesn't need to get that extra jump, but she still does it and usually doesn't get called.

Sounds like she is ready for college ball to me! :rolleyes:

I agree, but that doesn't mean I cannot think it. :cool:

Heck, if I said everything I thought, I might get in trouble someday on a field.;)

Might????

Or even on a message board. :D

Yeah........:o

Others.....

The ball is dead on an infield fly......

It cannot be obstruction while the ball is in the air.......

A fake tag is just part of the game....

A change-up cannot ever be called for a strike......

A rise ball is an illegal pitch......

You need glasses.......duh.....what do you think I am wearing......:D

Joel

Here's my "nationals lesson":

What do you mean I can't put my flex player to be a courtesy runner for my DP? She's not in the batting lineup.

Here's your sign.

Had a similar experience in Midland. Late in the game, coach 'A' has entered all eligible subs (at some point in the game) and he pitcher hits a double. She calls time-out and wants to CR for the pitcher. I pull out my line-up card and let her know that she does not have an eligible CR. She tells me that she wants to put on of her starters who is on the bench to CR. I explain that she cannot do that and that there are no eligible CRs available. She asks again abou the starters, and the answer is the same. THEN she pulls the 'well we have done this all year' line. I explain that she had not done this in ASA Championship play. She counters with, 'well, we did it twice yesterday'. Of course my answer was. 'while I can appreciate that, but if you truly were allowed to do that, that would have been a mistake on blue's part.'

she then asked if I would check with my partners (and yes, we were told at the pre-tournament ump meeting to go to your partner on ALL requests) Knowing his is what the UIC wanted, I conferred with both partners, came back and gave her the same ruling. Walking away, she says 'I still don't think that is right' . I stopped her, with 'coach, it is within your right to file a formal protest, would you like to do that now, and I will have the UIC called to the field'.

The look on her face was pretty priceless, as she answered ....'no thank. you' :D

this was from essentially a 18U gold level tourny...

im on the bases and my partner is having to make a lot of tough calls on borderline pitches, ones team coach is all over him the entire game.

~5th inning, runner on 1st, steals 2nd, the pitch was a wild pitch/passed ball, so the runner goes for 3rd. now im young and fast so i have no problem making it all the way to 3rd for the call, im in perfect position, i can see all the elements, the girl got thrown out by the smallest of margins, so i bang her out with the sell out mechanic. the coach, who had been riding the PU the entire game is the 3rd base coach, take a guess what his argument with me was?

not that she was under the tag

not that there was obs

not that i was out of position

......

he yells out, "how can you be so enthusiastic with that call? how can you call out like that? theres no need to punch the air!" and i few other things that ive forgotten