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15 replies

Relief Pitcher Rule or Myth

C ChilliwackMember
Yesterday's game:

Mosquito pitcher reaches his max pitch count for the week, so we are swapping in our center fielder to pitch between batters.

Before the centerfielder can get to the ball (which is sitting on the ground beside the mound), our second baseman picks up the ball and tosses it to the center fielder as he approaches the mound.

Hobo parent umpire starts crying that the 2nd baseman is now our relief pitcher because he touched the ball first!

One of the umpires agreed, but the the head ump ruled no, that was absurd.

I've searched through the rule book and can't find anything that mentions this. This is the second time I have heard this in two months, so if it's false or true I'd like to get it straight.

So is this a real rule, or just urban myth?

Thanks!
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F 3FingeredGlove1,000+ posts
I don't know about Mosquito, but in Little League, a recent addition to the rules explicitly states that a player has to have actually thrown a pitch to a batter before he becomes the pitcher of record. This rule change was necessitated by kind of situation mentioned in the OP and another in which a new pitcher starts to warm up, and is recognized as ineligible to pitch before actually pitching. LL wants such an ineligible pitcher to not pitch but also does not want to penalize the kid or the team. The point of the pitching regulations is to avoid overuse, rather than to find ways to trap teams. Anyone who sees an ineligible pitcher warming up is required to immediately announce that fact.
piaa_umppiaa_ump5,000+ posts
IN my area, a HOBO is what we call an umpire who has no training, does not dress in the accepted uniform, does not conform to the accepted mechanics and goes from league to league getting games until their incompetency runs them off......

Every year, My summer chapter gets 1-2 of these guys looking to join.....when they hear the uniform guidelines and required mechanics and the probationary status..most drift off...

This year we had one who wanted to join our umpire association, but told us he only wanted to work in his home town and that he rather not do the plate as he did not have plate gear....he said he had a shirt and a hat and a "clicker"....

When he was told we need full gear, and full uni's and that we dont assign hometown umpires to local games unless its a last resort, he left....

Thats a HOBO umpire....so to me "hobo parent umpire" would just throw in another descriptor of who the umpire in the OP was.....
Last edited by piaa_ump
C ChilliwackMember
In hockey we have these people we call rink rats, they hang around the rink whether they have a kid playing or not, creating drama etc... Im new to baseball but have seen these same people exist in this sport, always around the diamond creating drama whispering to people what the call should have been etc... The analogy of a vagrant seemed apt. Is there a name for these people in baseball?

I believe we are officially way off topic, but I thank everyone for their enlightening replies!
Jimmy03Jimmy031,000+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by Chilliwack:
Im new to baseball but have seen these same people exist in this sport, always around the diamond creating drama whispering to people what the call should have been etc... The analogy of a vagrant seemed apt. Is there a name for these people in baseball?


Yes...assistant coaches. Big Grin
MU Mr Umpire100+ posts
quote:
Originally posted by piaa_ump:
IN my area, a HOBO is what we call an umpire who has no training, does not dress in the accepted uniform, does not conform to the accepted mechanics and goes from league to league getting games until their incompetency runs them off......

Every year, My summer chapter gets 1-2 of these guys looking to join.....when they hear the uniform guidelines and required mechanics and the probationary status..most drift off...

This year we had one who wanted to join our umpire association, but told us he only wanted to work in his home town and that he rather not do the plate as he did not have plate gear....he said he had a shirt and a hat and a "clicker"....

When he was told we need full gear, and full uni's and that we dont assign hometown umpires to local games unless its a last resort, he left....

Thats a HOBO umpire....so to me "hobo parent umpire" would just throw in another descriptor of who the umpire in the OP was.....
Sorry for coming to your association. I won't be there next year just to let you know.

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