Calling from behind the pitchers mound.

Found it, 9.03 and 9.04 MLB Rule book. More than one umpire the Umpire and Chief shall stand behind the catcher. Only one umpire then he can stand where he wants. We have two when he does this. Amazing what a little reading can do.

I never cease to be amazed at the things that happen in baseball games. It has been accepted practice for many years to call even one man games from behind the plate, busting out to the mound to gain an angle on any play......

I have done many one man games behind the plate when partners have not shown up. Although I understand the frustration of being hit multiple times by inexperienced catchers misses, it is not an excuse to subvert the rule book. Please tell me this was some youth league game and not HS.....

With 2 umpires one of them has to be behind the plate......there is no excuse for this.

absolutely amazing....

It is absolutly impossible to call stikes and balls from behind the pitcher. I have seen it done in scrimmages and a couple exhibition games and it is impossible to see CBs.

PONY League, Pony Division 13-14 yo. So far this Umpire has done this 4 times.

One more question. I am looking for the rule that states the Umpire can force a coach to change the catcher or eject the catcher. This umpire has threatened to do so. I know this is tacky. FYI There is a history between the manager I work with and this umpire, and it is not good. I know that the umpire in our league rules can eject him for unsportsmanlike conduct. I fear that this is the rule he would use saying in his opinion the catcher is letting pitches hit him on purpose.

Horrible & inexcusable.

This is the type of umpiring that @isses me off.

I take great pride in my games, and try to be as professional as I can.

We have all have had poor pitching or poor catching or both. But that is no excuse for the ump not to be behind the plate.

We have one league were they request one ump for their Mustang Division (9-10 year olds), the only time that we are allowed to do it from behind the mound is if someone is assigned 3 games that day. Otherwise, its behind the plate.

quote:

I have an umpire in the league that decides to call the game from behind the pitcher if he gets frustrated by being hit by wild pitches and pass balls.

quote:

Although I understand the frustration of being hit multiple times by inexperienced catchers misses

Do the other umpires in your organization get hit by wild pitches and passed balls as often as this guy.

HotCornerDad,
There is no rule that allows an Umpire to force a coach to make a change.....there are however rules that can be manipulated to cover such reprehensible behavior.....

9.01c - this is the weak umpires catch all. It has very little use to a trained umpire.. but one who is set on manipulating the rules will often quote this rule.

"Any umpire has the authority to rule on any point not specifically covered in these rules"

or he may use this one, but it requires him to trump up an offense....

9.01 d

"Each Umpire has the authority to disqualify any player, coach, manager or substitute for objecting to decisions or for unsportsmanlike conduct or language and to eject such disqualified person from the playing field"

He would have to say the catcher was deliberatly allowing balls to hit him. Which I have seen. I was the Base Umpire when I saw a catcher give his pitcher the thumbs up sign......and the pitcher threw a fastball that the catcher never moved his glove to catch.....right off the mask..........

It wont be 100 % legal, but thats the way it could be done.

Thanks PIAA, I just need the back ground so when I ask the leagues Chief Umpire to not assign this umpire be the Umpire and Chief (Plate Umpire) of our games. I learned in the military to keep your options open. He does not get hit any more than another. Our catchers do their best. My son is the catching coach and he puts the kids through tough blocking drills when they do miss blocking of balls and the kids know it. The one part of catching they don't really like but they are better catchers because of it. The sad part is the umpires know this and give my son a rash about his training. Yes this is sad. Thank you all for the information and understanding. I have come to the conclusion that the best option for all is if this one umpire is assigned as a field umpire as ofter as possible, that will be my suggestion.

After further thought on this, and according to Bobblehead "It is absolutly impossible to call stikes and balls from behind the pitcher."

I agree completely.

If the ump was smart he would sit in his lawn chair behind the backstop half way between the plate and the dugout and call the game from there.

I KNOW FOR A FACT- that those seats have the best view of balls and strikes. Ask any parent.

Pirate tell us something we don't know !!

Man, I just flashed back, well let's just say, 30 some odd years. When I was a soph. in HS it was quit common to see 1 man coverage for the Soph. games. And quite common to see blue throw his balloon and mask up against the fence with runners on and move behind the mound. Can't say as it effected balls and stikes much, in fact as a pitcher, I kinda enjoyed it, I could acutually talk with the guy and get away with it. Where was that? A little high, outside. Never any pressure to not be shown up.. Thanks for the memories.
But with two man? Wow, tell me this is an all volunteer umpire group, and you just can't anybody else...