Umpiring Question

[crazzyness]

Umpires are getting sorry. They are the biggest crooks in the world. They come strolling in right at game time for everyone to see. I am from northeast TN and they were terrible all year. I didn't see a game where there was not some form of controversy or a missed call. They need to be punished and pay cut it nothing more than a buddy system. Only job in America where when you screw up and cost someone nothing is done to you. They need to let the coaches evaluate them and if you miss an obvious call be fined and serve a suspension.

Now let's look at the flip side. Umpiring is the ONLY job in the entire world where you are expected to be perfect on your first day on the job and then improve every night thereafter...

 

Food for thought.

[haebvols]

Now let's look at the flip side. Umpiring is the ONLY job in the entire world where you are expected to be perfect on your first day on the job and then improve every night thereafter...

 

Food for thought.

Nice, but nobody expects perfection, just KNOW the rules and don't blow the obvious. And if a game goes past your bedtime, suck it up and give back to the kids instead of the "screw you", I'm paid and out of here. Even if you get cussed or harrased in the parking lot, doesn't make it right. Back to previous, weatherpeople got it made.

[buffbball]

Now let's look at the flip side. Umpiring is the ONLY job in the entire world where you are expected to be perfect on your first day on the job and then improve every night thereafter...

 

Food for thought.

Nobody said perfect but quit putting these guys in big games problem is they dont have enough good ones to cover the games and therefore people with no business having the games get to call important games and screw kids out of a fair shake.

[mudbug]

I have umpired for a lot of years now. There are officials looking to get their check and get out but there not as many as these posts make it out to be. We should get every call right but we will miss some. Hopefully we won't miss them in crucial situations like the one mentioned here, but it will happen. I am the first to know when I kick a call as I think most officials are.

 

In this situation the ball is foul when any umpire yells foul period. Not even sure why they conferred, dead ball everybody go back. Also it is the plate umpire's call until it reaches the bag then it becomes the base umpire's call. If it reached the bag then it was 3rd base umpire's call anyway and they should have gone with his call.

 

As for the balk, batters sometimes yell time after the pitcher starts his motion. If the pitcher stops his motion its on him. If the batter left the box any pitch would be a strike so just toss it in.

 

Finally everyone loves to say officials should be fined and suspended and tarred and feathered. We are not exactly swimming in new officials even with the economy like it is. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come and give it a shot. That's not a sarcastic remark. We need bodies. Seriously.

[rulesman09]

In the Notre Dame-Livingston Academy game, the score is tied 2-2 in the 8th. We have three umpires handling this game. One is stationed down the third base line about ten feet from the bag. Livingston Academy's batter hits a grounder down the left field line, and the third base umpire screams "foul ball" and waves his arms indicating the ball was foul. The home plate umpire points fair, but does not say anything. Notre Dame's left fielder, hearing "foul ball" does not play the ball. Livingston Academy runner takes second. Home plate umpire and third base umpire converse. Then they call over the first base umpire who had no angle whatsoever. They then say that the ball was fair and the runner remains at second. He, of course, scored the winning run on a balk. Thoughts?

 

NFHS 2-16-1:

A foul is a batted ball:

 

e. that touches the ground after being inadvertently declared foul by an umpire.

 

NFHS Officials Manual pg. 19

 

Calling foul halts all play. It is not reversible.

[rulesman09]

A grounder down left field? When did it start "grounding" in the infield? Over 3rd base? I "think" the homeplate/head umpire can over rule a call in the field. An umpire should signal fair or foul and not yell, since fair can sound like foul and vice versa. I would have my outfielder always play as if the ball were fair - especially in a 2-2 game. In this case, take nothing for granted. Wondering who called the balk? Tough way to lose a game unless the balk was obvious.

 

NFHS 10-1-4

 

No umpire shall criticize or interfere with another umpire's decision unless asked by the one making it.

[rulesman09]

I was standing about 15 feet from home plate looking directly down the 3rd base line. From that angle it looked like the ball crossed directly over the bag before going into foul terrotory, and thus, SHOULD have been called a fair ball. The problem is the umpire whose call it was screams "foul ball" and waves it foul. In my years of coaching, if any umpire calls it foul, it IS foul and a dead ball because the advantage gained by the batting team would be too great. As I mentioned earlier, the 3rd base umpire went running down the line calling it foul and waving his arms to indicate dead ball. While it would be ideal for the outfielder to continue to play the ball, I cannot fault a high school player for believing the closest umpire when he yells foul ball.

 

The balk occurred after that runner was bunted to 3rd. With an 0-2 count, Livingston Academy's hitter stepped in to the box, waited until the pitcher was mid-way through his delivery and jumped out of the box, waving his arms and screaming "TIME TIME TIME." Notre Dame's pitcher did not complete his delivery. Thus, the balk was called.

 

NFHS 6-2-4-d(1)

 

If the pitcher, with a runner on base, stops or hesitates in his delivery because the batter steps out of the box with (a)one foot or (b)both feet or ©holds up his hand to request "time," it shall not be a balk. in (a) and ©,there is no penalty on either the batter or the pitcher. The umpire shall call "time" and begin play anew. In (b)a strike shall be called on the batter for violation of 7-3-1 (leaving the box during an at-bat.) in (a), (b)and©, if the pitcher legally delivers the ball, it shall be called a strike and the ball remains live. Thus, two strikes are called on the batter in (b. If the umpire judges the batter's actions to deliberately create a balk, he will penalize according to 3-3-1 (o).

 

Isn't umpiring easy? Lol.

Edited May 17, 2012 by rulesman09

[MRJD07]

NFHS 6-2-4-d(1)

 

If the pitcher, with a runner on base, stops or hesitates in his delivery because the batter steps out of the box with (a)one foot or (b)both feet or ©holds up his hand to request "time," it shall not be a balk. in (a) and ©,there is no penalty on either the batter or the pitcher. The umpire shall call "time" and begin play anew. In (b)a strike shall be called on the batter for violation of 7-3-1 (leaving the box during an at-bat.) in (a), (b)and©, if the pitcher legally delivers the ball, it shall be called a strike and the ball remains live. Thus, two strikes are called on the batter in (b. If the umpire judges the batter's actions to deliberately create a balk, he will penalize according to 3-3-1 (o).

 

Isn't umpiring easy? Lol.

 

Umpires need to know the rules.

Keep studing your rule book, boys!

Its baseball... If it can happen it will happen...

God bless the men in BLUE!!!!

[ksgovols]

Yeah the balk play is the bigger blown call. You gotta get that right. Particularly in a win or go home game in the post season, a no call that makes people wonder if you know the rules is better than blurting it out loud and removing all doubt.

[sh9912]

This umpiring crew was obviously not very good. They should have had a crew chief and gotten both those calls correct. The home plate umpire has the ball to the bag on the fair or foul call. Once it reaches or goes past the bag it is the field umpires call. The field umpire called foul ball. The play is dead. This is a foul ball by rule because once it is called foul by any umpire the ball is dead. The home plate umpire should not have made any call at all. The umpires did the right thing by bringing all three together. One of these guys is the crew chief. He should have made this a foul ball. The balk call was also incorrect. The batter cannot cause the pitcher to balk. When the batter stepped out of the box and yelled time causing the pitcher to stop his delivery, The home plate umpire should have called time and restarted. There is no way you can call a balk without the batter in the box anyway. If the pitcher had gone ahead and delivered the ball without the batter in the box it is an automatic strike. These are simple rules that these umpires should have known. You have to wonder how they were put on a game at that level. I do think that the losing coach can report this to tssaa. They will then contact that associations assigner. Then the decision could be that those guys will not be assigned future playoff games unless they get better. Does anyone know what association the crew was from? I have been umpiring for TSSAA for 15 years. I read the rule book constantly as well as attend camps or clinics to keep myself sharp. I love umpiring baseball. The things you have to do to be the best umpire is know the rules, look good, hustle, attend camps, be professional and love and respect the game.

[ibball44]

Apparently, after the game, the home plate umpire went to his vehicle, pulled out his rule book, read both the foul ball and balk rules, called his supervisor and told him he had cost a team a chance to win a game because he had blown two calls back to back to provide one team the winning run. The supervisor called the high school and explained the umpire was very upset. Of course, nothing could be done to correct the errors made or the result.

 

While it is admirable that the umpire took ownership of the situation, it is a shame when six seniors that took their lickings as freshman starters work hard for 3 years have the chance to move on lost because in one five minute period of time, two easy calls are missed not because of physical mistakes on the part of the umpires, but because they did not know the rules and would not listen to those who did know the rules. The umpires did not see the call wrong, they simply did not know the rules and how to apply them.

[formerbobcat]

This umpiring crew was obviously not very good. They should have had a crew chief and gotten both those calls correct. The home plate umpire has the ball to the bag on the fair or foul call. Once it reaches or goes past the bag it is the field umpires call. The field umpire called foul ball. The play is dead. This is a foul ball by rule because once it is called foul by any umpire the ball is dead. The home plate umpire should not have made any call at all. The umpires did the right thing by bringing all three together. One of these guys is the crew chief. He should have made this a foul ball. The balk call was also incorrect. The batter cannot cause the pitcher to balk. When the batter stepped out of the box and yelled time causing the pitcher to stop his delivery, The home plate umpire should have called time and restarted. There is no way you can call a balk without the batter in the box anyway. If the pitcher had gone ahead and delivered the ball without the batter in the box it is an automatic strike. These are simple rules that these umpires should have known. You have to wonder how they were put on a game at that level. I do think that the losing coach can report this to tssaa. They will then contact that associations assigner. Then the decision could be that those guys will not be assigned future playoff games unless they get better. Does anyone know what association the crew was from? I have been umpiring for TSSAA for 15 years. I read the rule book constantly as well as attend camps or clinics to keep myself sharp. I love umpiring baseball. The things you have to do to be the best umpire is know the rules, look good, hustle, attend camps, be professional and love and respect the game.

 

If a coach brought out a rule book to show the umpire the correct ruling what would you do as an umpire?

Edited May 25, 2012 by formerbobcat