No Batters Box ?

[UmpSteve]

The OP was about Fall Ball - an extension of Rec ball in most cases. Those games are usually on the clock. All of my comments are in the context of umpiring a rec game, not a 7 inning ASA tournament game.

I get that many of you blues here are way above Rec ball. However, rec ball is actually for the kids, and being an ass when asked a question from a 10 yr old still very much learning the game is pathetic.

Then why are you not umpiring it? Seriously, if you want to dictate the actions of position for which others have been trained to the contrary, why not just do it yourself? Create your own volunteer umpire group in your organization. That way you get what you want and can control the manner in which they approach the game.

After all, like you said, it is 10U fall ball. These kids don't need umpiring, they need coaching. So why waste money and frustration on an unnecessary resource?

I guess for the same reason that the Cop I saw changing a flat for an elderly woman was not doing it for a 20 year old ... He wasn't 'Copping' the same way as he would have in the other situation even though the rules were the same ...

I get that you once saw a cop change a tire. He decided that set of circumstances was appropriate for him to go above and beyond. For all you know, it was his mother, aunt, or grandmother, even. Or, the elderly lady even offered him an extra glazed donut.

So you therefore have concluded that every cop should change flat tires any time someone gets one?

That seems to be your message. Because it still wasn't his job, or responsibility, and actually could have caused him to have disciplinary action against for not spending his time doing what he should have been doing, could have been fired or suspended over it, and could have assumed a legal liability if it wasn't done correctly.

And even if asked, OTB, it would certainly have been appropriate for him to decline, and still say it wasn't appropriate for anyone to ask, or to assume he should. Even another elderly woman, or a 10 yo in a fall rec game.

[GIMNEPIWO]

The OP was about Fall Ball - an extension of Rec ball in most cases. Those games are usually on the clock. All of my comments are in the context of umpiring a rec game, not a 7 inning ASA tournament game.

I get that many of you blues here are way above Rec ball. However, rec ball is actually for the kids, and being an ass when asked a question from a 10 yr old still very much learning the game is pathetic.

Then why are you not umpiring it? Seriously, if you want to dictate the actions of position for which others have been trained to the contrary, why not just do it yourself? Create your own volunteer umpire group in your organization. That way you get what you want and can control the manner in which they approach the game.

After all, like you said, it is 10U fall ball. These kids don't need umpiring, they need coaching. So why waste money and frustration on an unnecessary resource?

I guess for the same reason that the Cop I saw changing a flat for an elderly woman was not doing it for a 20 year old ... He wasn't 'Copping' the same way as he would have in the other situation even though the rules were the same ...

I get that you once saw a cop change a tire. He decided that set of circumstances was appropriate for him to go above and beyond. For all you know, it was his mother, aunt, or grandmother, even. Or, the elderly lady even offered him an extra glazed donut.

So you therefore have concluded that every cop should change flat tires any time someone gets one?

That seems to be your message. Because it still wasn't his job, or responsibility, and actually could have caused him to have disciplinary action against for not spending his time doing what he should have been doing, could have been fired or suspended over it, and could have assumed a legal liability if it wasn't done correctly.

And even if asked, OTB, it would certainly have been appropriate for him to decline, and still say it wasn't appropriate for anyone to ask, or to assume he should. Even another elderly woman, or a 10 yo in a fall rec game.

Yeah ... No ... My message was slightly different than you say but you did hit on it ... The Cop looked at the set of circumstances, knew the rules and decided what he felt was an appropriate course of action ... Unlikely it was his Momma but there could have been a glazed donut involved ... Sure he could have been sued, fired, disciplined, suspended ... But at the end of the day, if you do what you feel was the right thing to do and can put your head on the pillow, does anything else matter ? I still say that I would have scribed the front limit of the box for the young girl ... But I would not be doing foul lines, running lane or pitchers circle any more than that cop would be doing an oil change ...

[MTR]

[

Yeah ... No ... My message was slightly different than you say but you did hit on it ... The Cop looked at the set of circumstances, knew the rules and decided what he felt was an appropriate course of action ... Unlikely it was his Momma but there could have been a glazed donut involved ... Sure he could have been sued, fired, disciplined, suspended ... But at the end of the day, if you do what you feel was the right thing to do and can put your head on the pillow, does anything else matter ?

You mean like house, feed and protect your family the following day, week, month, year..........?

I still say that I would have scribed the front limit of the box for the young girl ... But I would not be doing foul lines, running lane or pitchers circle any more than that cop would be doing an oil change ...

Let's try putting your scenario in a similar context, remembering there are professionals who are properly trained, equipped and paid to provide emergency roadside services for disabled vehicles, one of which a policeman while acting in the capacity as a policeman is not.

Say your cop was engage in an assigned duty at the time he noticed the car with the flat tire. I will not be overdramatic as to suggest s/he was chasing a criminal at the time, but let’s use an example like an assigned escort for a parade or group of bicyclists on a charity ride or an oversized load moving down the road.

Now, if in the performance of the assigned duty, would you expect the cop to stop the subject of his assignment to assist the motorist in need of aid, abandon the assignment to assist the motorist in need of aid or, when the situation permits, make contact with someone who can safely provide the aid necessary?

[GIMNEPIWO]

[

Yeah ... No ... My message was slightly different than you say but you did hit on it ... The Cop looked at the set of circumstances, knew the rules and decided what he felt was an appropriate course of action ... Unlikely it was his Momma but there could have been a glazed donut involved ... Sure he could have been sued, fired, disciplined, suspended ... But at the end of the day, if you do what you feel was the right thing to do and can put your head on the pillow, does anything else matter ?

You mean like house, feed and protect your family the following day, week, month, year..........?

I still say that I would have scribed the front limit of the box for the young girl ... But I would not be doing foul lines, running lane or pitchers circle any more than that cop would be doing an oil change ...

Let's try putting your scenario in a similar context, remembering there are professionals who are properly trained, equipped and paid to provide emergency roadside services for disabled vehicles, one of which a policeman while acting in the capacity as a policeman is not.

Say your cop was engage in an assigned duty at the time he noticed the car with the flat tire. I will not be overdramatic as to suggest s/he was chasing a criminal at the time, but let’s use an example like an assigned escort for a parade or group of bicyclists on a charity ride or an oversized load moving down the road.

Now, if in the performance of the assigned duty, would you expect the cop to stop the subject of his assignment to assist the motorist in need of aid, abandon the assignment to assist the motorist in need of aid or, when the situation permits, make contact with someone who can safely provide the aid necessary?

... Or maybe he was eating a donut, saw the Old Lady with the flat and in pulling over dropped his donut to the floor making it unedible ... Realizing it was a Sunday and very warm out, he knew it would be hours that the elderly woman sat waiting in the hot sun for assistance ... Weighing the options he decided to change her tire for her ... In doing so he realized that when he stands upright and looks down he is unable to see his feet because his gut is so big ... Changing the tire exhausts him & he has the epiphany that he better start using his gym membership ... He improves his diet, loses weight, helps an old woman and is now going to live longer and is then able to serve, protect, feed, house and care for his family ... His wife stops having an affair now that her husband longer looks like Chris Christy. There by saving the other mans life because he won't be in bed with her when the now slim cop comes off 2nd shift ... The off duty cop has new energy and decides to start Umpiring Rec Fall Ball ...

[ontheblack]

The OP was about Fall Ball - an extension of Rec ball in most cases. Those games are usually on the clock. All of my comments are in the context of umpiring a rec game, not a 7 inning ASA tournament game.

I get that many of you blues here are way above Rec ball. However, rec ball is actually for the kids, and being an ass when asked a question from a 10 yr old still very much learning the game is pathetic.

Rec, Fall, 10-U notwithstanding. No player should be allowed to carry on the way she did. However the batter was characterized with a distinct level of expertise as a slapper.

Whether the umpire in question used the right amount of bedside manner, is another issue. My momma always told me, "It's not what you say, but how you say it." Maybe the umpire was quoted verbatim, but as we well know the wonders of the message boards, interpretation/context is up for grabs.

Lines are not drawn by umpires. Batter can get set where ever she wants; the pitcher will be held up if B is not in box until B gets in box.

That being said, the one thing I do not recall seeing bantered about in this thread is the ability of PU to see it. Just a SWAG here, but OOB on slappers is probably only called about 10% of the time when a slapper was actually OOB. Reason: this is probably the most difficult call to make because PU must see the foot, out of the box AND ON THE GROUND at the time that the bat hit the ball.

If you are looking at the pitch, it is near-impossible to see the ground and vice-verse. Usually the only time I can call it is on a change up, where B is already OOB way before the pitch comes in.

It causes this poster to wonder how it was easy enough to see, especially if the lines were gone.

I agree with you here. If I had been coaching, it would have been me asking blue to show me where she crossed the line so I could show my player where the blue believes the box ends. But I also teach my players that other than when catching, they dont talk to blue except to call time or answer when spoken to.

If the player had asked blue where he though the front of the box was, would she have deserved a different, more specific answer?

[GIMNEPIWO]

Who has the picture of the dead horse?

beatingadeadhorse.gif (18.69 KiB) Viewed 4646 times

[MTR]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UELY5I-HMgg

I prefer this one

[GIMNEPIWO]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UELY5I-HMgg

I prefer this one

Now there is someone who got just what he deserved ... Kind of restores my faith in Karma ...