The Official Forum - Were these Blues Reaching or What?

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Rosin is a foreign substance, just like the dirt on the field. If you put a foreign substance on your hands, you better wipe, or make it appear to me you are wipeing it off. But I think this play was reaching alittle. I do understand the message, I just would not have made that call.

Well, I guess I'm gonna have to use that discretion part pretty heavily. I love to enforce the rules for pitching and have never, never hesitated to call an illegal pitch, but I'm gonna do a lot of soul searching before I call that one. While you have educated me on the case book ruling, I do believe I have more stuff to look at than resin on a ball.
As far as the snookered blues go, if this isn't the case, why didn't they call it before? This wasn't the first time the meeting was held and the bag passed around, according to the message. Still think it's a smart coach, who talked someone into something they wouldn't have called ordinarily. That's not a commentary on the blues or the coach. It's just a rule that got used. Smart coach.

Rick

Quote:

Originally posted by Dakota
From the ASA Case Book:

Quote:

Case Play 6F.6-4. F5 rubs dirt on the ball and then gives it to the pitcher to pitch.
RULING: Umpires should use discretion in the determination of "foreign substances". Once the pitcher has the ball with the foreign substance near the pitcher's plate, and illegal pitch should be called. (6F-6)

Note the sentence I underlined. Use discretion. That doesn't mean ignore, but don't look for boogers, either.

Quote:

Case Play 6F.6-5. The pitcher places resin directly on the ball or in his glove and resin transfers to the ball and pitches it before the umpire can stop play.
RULING: Illegal pitch. Resin is used to dry the hands only. (6F-6)

Note again the part I underlined. If resin transfers to the ball it is considered a foreign substance.

While I agree these umpires were being picky, I don't think they were necessarily snookered by a clever coach. And, while resin is legally allowed to dry the hands, it is prohibited from being transferred to the ball.

Totally agree. But the resin was not applied to the ball, it was applied to the hands of the defenders. It is an assumption that I'm not ready to accept without checking the ball, that resin was transfered from the defender's hands to the ball. Now, if the resin was in the glove, no problem.

Unless something was previously stated to this team and/or coach, I may have asked for the ball after it was tossed around the horn to inspect it. If something was wrong, then I would address it to the coach. I just think the blues were being a bit overzealous on this one.

Just a personal opinion,

Thanks for all the great comments on this one guys.

It was discussed heavily after the fact. I agree, a
message was sent, since this tactic had been used re-
peately by this team....

There were no other incidents on this, and the team
played, but lost in the championship game.

glen