Parent asking a question

[greg21001]

As the title says, I'm just a parent looking to grip and also get some opinions. Dd played in a tournament this past weekend. It rained hard Friday night and Sat night, so the fields were pretty muddy. After about the 3-4 pitch of our first came the HP ump called timed because mud from the catchers glove flew into his eye. No big deal, so I thought. Next inning the same thing....after it happend the third time he told out catcher if she puts her glove in the mud again and he gets mud in his eye he is going to go inot the dug out and take about 10 mins to clean his eyes out and hes going to keep the clock running. Is there anything our catcher could have done to help the umpire out....???

I have learned from reading this forum that there is certain calls umpires have and the other umpire really isn't paying all that much attention to. What happened is that the FU has between 2 and 3 and we had a girl bunt. FU called her safe but the HP over ruled and said out. I'm pretty sure HP just can over turn on foot off the base but he said the throw just wasn't in time. Is that his call?

Thanks in advance.

[BretMan]

To blame the catcher for mud flying up, when you're playing on a muddy field, is idiotic. This is an example of game management and player interaction at it's worst. If you really think that the game conditions are unsafe, then you are the guy that can suspend the game!

No umpire should ever "overturn" another's call. If one umpire wants to ask his partner if he had something different, then he's free to do that. Then if he wants to change his call he may. But no umpire should ever just jump in, unsolicited, and change the other umpire's call. That's in the rule book and it's in our umpire manual. And, yes, the play at first base is the base umpire's call.

When you put these two incidents together, it adds up to an umpire that either needs some more training or some more experience...or that needs to find himself another hobby!

[MD Longhorn]

Sounds like you had an umpire with some issues here, but I'd also wonder about your coach. What was he doing when this call was changed? Why did he not protest - PU cannot BY RULE overrule BU on judgement alone. The judgement is not protestable, but the misapplication of the rule (the overruling) is. Also - how were you, the parent, aware of the conversation between PU and catcher - was this relayed to you by catcher ... could it have been exaggerated or twisted (I ask because I have a daughter that age, and it's a possibility). Was coach within hearing when that conversation took place?

If so, and I was coach, there's no question I'd be looking for a TD.

PS - please don't call the base umpire the FU. FU kind of means something else, doesn't it? He's the BU (or 1BU and 3BU if you have more than 1 out there).

[BretMan]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Why did he not protest - PU cannot BY RULE overrule BU on judgement alone. The judgement is not protestable, but the misapplication of the rule (the overruling) is.)

Not according to the note under Rule 9 covering protests. Failures of umpires to adhere to the guidelines of Rule 10 are not grounds for protest.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by BretMan

Not according to the note under Rule 9 covering protests. Failure of umpires to adhere to the guidelines of Rule 10 are not grounds for protest.

I see your point. However, BU says safe, PU says out, and it was BU's call originally. I'm coaching, my player's not getting off first base until BU tells me she has to go. By what rule is she out? Nothing in rules 1-9, and rule 10, while not protestable, doesn't support removing her from the bases anyway.

Umpires beware - I'm tell you right now that I'm not leaving the field until ejected here.

[greg21001]

i actually heard the PU tell our catcher this. I was sitting right at the backstop. The coach didn't here the conversation she was in the dugout. From my point of view there was alot of home cooking by the umps but thats just my point of view. The team we were playing was the team holding the tournament and the coach of the team was in the tent with the brackets and stuff unless his team was playing. I'm not sure if thats the norm but it seemed kinda odd to me. Odd that a coach of a team in a tournament could also be the tournament director.

in case it matters...USSSA

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

He's the BU (or 1BU and 3BU if you have more than 1 out there).

Or U1 and U3.

[JefferMC]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

...
PS - please don't call the base umpire the FU. FU kind of means something else, doesn't it? He's the BU (or 1BU and 3BU if you have more than 1 out there).

Furman University?

The cheer goes:

FU one time
FU two times
FU all the time
Go Furman!

[BretMan]

As bad as it might sound to call one of the base umpires "FU", calling the plate umpire "PU" ain't exactly flattering!