While umpiring our first game today I did not grant time out to the fielding team. I did not grant time-out because I did not believe the play was yet over. Alex Rivera was dancing off third-base. I told Phil Ciccone, the fielder holding the ball that I would grant time-out if the pitcher held the ball. There is no such requirement in the ASA rules and I was mistaken in making this call. However, my impression that the runners were still not stable on the bases should have been respected (the ASA rule states that the umpire should not call time until the runners are at their bases) . This was demonstrably true when Alex Rivera took off for home plate. I ruled that Alex Rivera scored.
What happened next was, in my eyes, unacceptable. My ruling was ignored by the team in the field and by the team at bat. That Alex returned to third base after I declared him safe is a profound life-statement in favor of anarchy.
Though I have a healthy distrust for authority, I do not share Alex's unbridled commitment to anarchy. We have an umpire to make decisions. When the umpire is ignored it sets a precedent for overturning all umpiring calls.
Personally, this experience makes me wary of umpiring at all. From now on I will not umpire unless I am specifically asked to by the team captain. I know some of you will be happy about this. However, left with the perceived inconsistencies of the rest of those willing to umpire, I don't expect you will be any better off. Eventually, if we continue to not give respect to the umpires, no one will choose to umpire.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
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6 comments:
Don't feel bad. I was fired as an ump by my own team after one of my teammates refused to bat if I was calling balls and strikes.
Bob,
Firstly, no hitter is allowed to ax an umpire. This is the stuff I am upset about. Unless someone is cheating, players should be thanking the players who umpire. I'll make an announcement to the effect that umpires cannot be chosen by either the pitchers or hitters. That the pitcher has the right to refuse one umpire a game. I would like to see pitchers use this power sparingly. Perhaps we can have the pitcher pay a ten dollar fee to the league each time he uses the veto power. -Havelock
there is no stealing in this league (or any other softball league i know of)
i would of called time when phil had the ball
the play is over and time can be called once the ball is in an infielders possession.
if an outfielder has the ball or the infielders are just throwing the ball around, the ball is still live and time should not and cannot be called
Well said Jeffey.
Has anyone noticed the trend of Havelock using the umpire authority in his teams favor. Be it the absurd call he tried to get away with this past Sunday, or the shady umpiring calls he makes on balls and strikes when his team has the lead in the 6th and 7th innings. Havelock's stooge Glen Lawrence once said to us that Havelock could do whatever he wants because he is the commissioner, it seems Glen is right because we can't even get fair umpiring from our beloved commissioner.
Alex is probably the hardest guy to get out while running back and forth. Time out doesn't have to be when the runner is on the base. Neither the defense nor the offense can EVER call time. They can only request time from the umpire who may or may not grant the request. Normally a team requests time when all playing action is over. Umpires normally do not grant time until all action has ceased and then only if there seems to be a reason for doing so. This doesn't mean that the runner has to be back at the bag. About a month ago in a game Alex was allowed to steal 2nd base as Jeff tried to throw him out at first. With Havelock playing the outfield, he said nothing on this. Stealing is not a part of our softball league and it should not have been allowed. However, with Alex's speed he knows how to get extra bases when he can which is ok as long as it's by the rules.
Derek
Timeout should be granted-- if asked for-- when the ball is in someone's possession back on the infield, regardless of what stupid shit the runner is trying to pull.
Let's just cut the crap, Hav, and admit that Sunday morning rec softball wasn't meant to have folks stealing extra bases, sometimes off of other folks three times their age. Your activist umpiring was overturned by common sense. Good for us.
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