quote:Originally posted by piaa_ump:
Not to hijack the thread, but I think we agree on the answer of the OP....but I have a question for all of the crew here....
In the OP, there is the following statement....
"Really short fence in left. The fence is tall (30 feet). As you get past left center the fence gets deeper and drops down to a 10 foot fence. Ground rules- ball hit over the 30 foot fence in left is a ground rule double. Any ball hit over the shorter fences (everywhere else) is a home run."
The home team has constructed a 30 foot tall fence in an admittedly short left field.....yet they are establishing a ground rule saying that anything hit over it will be a double...
The OBR states in rule 7.05 Each runner including the batter-runner may, without liability to be put out,
advance—
(a) To home base, scoring a run, if a fair ball goes out of the playing field in flight and
he touched all bases legally;
Both Fed and OBR state that the ground rules may not supersede the printed rules.....
So do we proceed with the ground rules as requested or would you push back on this?..
I think it would be a good idea to get those in writing and approval from the governing body.
I think I would have to push back. It takes a lot of guess work out of the equation as to whether it was over that last 30 foot pole or not. Until I am told by my association to allow it, I would have to go with regular baseball rules. If they don't like it, raise the fence or push it back.
I'm just glad I don't do that field b/c a HC may be leaving before the plate meeting is over.