BBStuart

3 hours ago, ReitzFan said:

BigEd,

Looks like another man in blue was just smoked out. A newbie to the board and one who hides his information as well. Could it be possible for an umpire to misinterprete what is an illegal stance and what is not an illegal stance? That has not been brought up as a question to my knowledge. Something tells me that there is really more to this than what has been published. I also wonder if a bear may have been poked and prodded into behavior that is not proper. These are questions that we may never find answers to.

Here's some info.  First year of umpiring baseball in TN in 1995.  Have been umpiring high school, college and independent pro ball in the Coachella Valley since 1996.  I do know a little bit about baseball rules and see pitchers try to take advantage of the hybrid rule nearly every game.  Since this rule has been around since at least 2014, it's not as if coaches and pitchers don't know about it.  Now, there are some stubborn umpires who don't like the rule and refuse to call it.  Kind of like the guys who don't call the force play slide rule because they didn't have that rule when they played ball in the 1970's.  It just so happens that when an umpire who does make that call is seen as making the game about himself.  And you hear from the coaches how nobody else calls that.  I seriously doubt that nobody has either called it or let the pitcher know to get his feet right or you will call it.  Preventive officiating.  When you get to the point of your state playoffs, you better have your pitchers in the right stance.  You can't be waringing the pitcher at that point.  Oh, I lived in Millington, Tn in 1995 and high school baseball was fantastic that year in that area.  Germantown hs actually was the #1 ranked team in the nation and I believe Phil Clark was the HS Coach of The Year.  Learned a lot there, but I also learned I hated tornadoes and humidity.  Grew up in a small town in Mo. complete with humidity, tornadoes and bugs.  Great hunting.

On 6/6/2019 at 4:44 PM, ReitzFan said:

It is my understanding that this was the first time all seaon, including state tournament games, that Haywood and the pitcher were called on this hybrid stance issue. Does not seem like it is that big a point of emphasis. There has to be more to this than a coach just going wacko.

Where did you hear that that was the first time the hybrid was called on them?

On 6/6/2019 at 4:44 PM, ReitzFan said:

It is my understanding that this was the first time all seaon, including state tournament games, that Haywood and the pitcher were called on this hybrid stance issue. Does not seem like it is that big a point of emphasis. There has to be more to this than a coach just going wacko.

I don't know the coach, but a lot of umpires might be intimidated and won't call the rule because of the BS they'll get.  Nothing better an umpire likes hearing then "Nobody else calls that".  And coaches receive rule books and case play books as well.  It's not like they don't know about the hybrid stance being illegal.