You make the call.

Check This Out!

We played a few weeks ago in a 16u tournament and the same scenario happened. Runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs. Catcher comes up to throw to 3rd base on a pick off and hits my batter in the back of the helmet while in the box. The ball bounces off the helmet and rolls down the fence beside the dugout. We advance the runners scoring one of them. The field umpire calls time after the play, calls the batter out for not moving and ends the inning. When we called time to ask for an explanation and my assistant goes towards the dugout to get his rulebook out. The field umpire turns and tells my assistant to keep walking to the parking lot if he goes after the rule book. Fortunately we ended up winning by one run in tie breaker.

 

Why would this not be two bases. The ball left the field of play and there was no interference. Each runner should be awarded the base they would have advanced to plus a base from the time of the throw.

 

We had an ump tell us Sat. night that there is a new ASA rule that says that the catcher cannot block the plate unless the ball is in their hands. Not even receiving the ball counts, if you're in the way without the ball firmly in your possesion it is obstruction.

 

I agree Iowa!

I tried to get the umpire to explain his reasoning and all he wanted to do was be the big boss and threaten to throw people out for challenging him. I asked for time and approached the umpire quietly and in a non-threatning way. The homeplate guy didn't know what to do. I'll refrain from saying what sanctioning body we were playing at, but we got several blown calls again this past weekend with the same group and likely won't play with them again.
Another question? I hear this statement alot from umpires. "If the ball beats the runner to the bag on a tag out situation I am gonna call her out". When did we start assuming that a girl cannot slide under a tag or the fact that the ball may bobble or come out of the glove? I saw 2-3 times this past weekend where a girl clearly slid under the tag and the umpire rung her up anyways, hollaring the ball beat her to the bag as he does his fancy little dance.

 

My first thought exactly. Obviously the runners were not on the base so why not the base they are going to plus one, the place they were at at the time of the throw.

 

HaHaHa!........that rule, which sucks, has been in place for atleast 3 years.
In HS, we had a kid cuaght in a pickle, (run down) between 3rd and home, hhmmm, now that i give it a little more thought and remembering who the runner was, its 5 years ago. my DD was a freshman. Anyway, what happened was that as the basrunner went back and forth 3rd to home and back and back again, AND as we all know the defense ran her back and traded places with the next defensive fielder in line in the run down,......OK ya'll get the scenario, what ended up was a loblolly toss to the pitcher covering homeplate for an obvious out. NOPE! Ump calls the runner safe.
Well, I'll say this TBR, this one of many plays that made the fishman ask the ump a question. And I was not coaching. I was in watching the game in my chair at a decent park but horrible seating arrangements so I parked my gig right behind homeplate. In between innings I asked the ump, who was pretty cool about even talking to a fan BTW, I asked him how in the hell and half of Georgia is this play called the way he called it. He asked me if I knew the new rule of obstruction, and I responded, "Apparently not".
After the game me and the ump, who are friends, talked about this gig.
Now to TBR, we've discussed this situation a few times before now. With respect, maybe the moderators will "boot" the threads that gave laid out the gig on a defensive players right to be in front of the plate or base.
Fish

 

well, i'm not a big fan of blocking the bases..seen kids w/ their leg just completely hindering any effort at getting to the bag...but a catcher blocking the plate as the ball comes in....sheesh....that's what we all teach them to do....anyone ever seen a purposeful sweep tag at the plate??? Didn't cost us the game but my kid/catcher was po'ed big time...said her college coach would blast her if she tried to sweep tag!!!
Gotta love the blue!!