Don't kid yourself, I saw the 20 year plaque you posted on Facebook. :p Dave maybe it's time to give up those "xtream" [sic] sports like softball umpiring.

Yeah, but I started when I was 15! :D

I still can't believe it's been 20 years...

xtreamump
 

Now its understandable if you are 34 you are still climbing fool's hill. Try to do the best thing that you can for the game. You are not helping either team, you are making the area a better place for a potential play.

Uh oh...I think he just called you a whippersnapper.

The guy can't make up his mind, can he? :D

He's good for a laugh...

I kind of think you're making the opposing point here, you just don't realize it.

How is it that ASA/NCAA/NFHS have written long guides on safety, and you STILL think something that is not in there should be? Did it not occur to you that when 100 people out of 100 tell you that you are wrong, from near the very top of the food chain on down to us peons who attend as many clinics as possible (even after 18 years) and hear advice from literally hundreds of other people (each ... so now were talking potentially 10000 people) who also say EXACTLY the same thing... perhaps it is you, and not the 10000 people, who are wrong?

No, it is no more the right thing to do than is handling the ball or chatting up the MILF at the fence between innings.

I've got better things to do than someone else's job, like what I'm being paid to do and that doesn't include house keeping. Just maybe it is so black and white, you cannot use your common sense to see it from the gray of the fog you are in.

The revolution will not be televised.
Helter Skelter.
It is 1,2,3,4 what are we fighting for? Don't ask me I don't give a damn.
And the sign says "long hair freaky people not apply".

For some strange reason just felt like typing this.

Good point... but you're just a Bill, you're only a Bill. :)

xtreamump
 

House keeping ? Tell me what you would tell the "MILF" in the 4th inning when her 12 year old daughter breaks her leg tripping over a bat 3 feet away from the Dish, I will set up the play, R1 on 2nd base B1 hits a line drive into right field, the right fielder makes a great play & relays the ball home for a close call. R1 slides into the bat & breaks her leg short of the plate by 6 inches, the catcher tages her out. I can tell that you would not do those types of games but the same fog that I am in applys. All I can say is WOW.

The bat becomes part of the field when it is discarded and we do not pick them up.

Ok, and how about this play I had completely forgotten about until today. A game my daughter played in years ago, opposite side of the coin.

Runners on 1 & 2, slower runner on 2nd. Batter drives the ball over F7's head and base runners are on the move. F7 gets the ball at the fence just as lead runner is touching 3rd base with trailing runner almost on her heals. Plate umpire decides to clear the bat laying on the 3rd base line and bends over to pick it up. At same moment, pitcher for whatever reason runs across the 3rd base line colliding with the lead runner, knocking her flat on her butt and causing the trailing runner to pass her on the base path. Base umpire has seen nothing as he had the batter runner going into 2nd base. Plate umpire saw nothing because he was too busy clearing the bat and looked up just in time to see the lead runner laying on the ground with trialing runner passing her. Of course he can only call what he witnessed, which was to call the trailing runner out for passing another runner, and then the tag out of the lead runner still laying flat on her back.

Now tell me how you explain to the offensive coach how you completely blew the call and not only screwed him out of 2 runs but also called 2 outs on him? All because instead of watching the play like you are suppose to, you decided to "clear the bat for the safety of the players".

Leave the bat alone which by the rules becomes a part of the field once it is out of the batters hands and do your job by watching the ball and action on the field.

What I tell the MILF is nothing. Maybe you like to talk with fans during the game. Maybe that's ok in your area. I don't have anything to do with fans while on the field. As for what I tell the players & coaches - OUT.
By rule, that discarded bat is a part of the field. If the offensive coach wants it moved, there's an on-deck batter to handle that - without interfering) If the defensive coach wants it moved, the catcher can do that. Seems to me that Esq (& his other made up pseudonyms wants a rule change) - OK - submit the change suggestion to the proper folks. Until then - follow the rules that exist - without homegrown mechanics or interpretations.

I don't tell the MILF anything because talking to her is just as wrong as altering the playing field.

Yeah, you would say "wow" because you would be watching an umpire do his job. You might want to take notes.

I'd tell her to talk with her daughter's coach and walk away.