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5 replies

Strangest call

P pbonesteele100+ posts
This happened seveal years ago in a U11 Pony game.

Our team is on defense, we have a tag play at home. Catcher receives the ball in time, puts the tag down in front of home plate, runner slides into the catcher, catcher retains control of the ball the entire time ... seems like an easy out to call.

The runner ends up under the catcher ... the umpire tells the catcher "show me the ball". The catcher, rather than grabbing the ball with his throwing hand out of the glove, just opens up his glove to show the umpire the ball. While the ball is resting in the open glove in plain view, the runner kicks the bottom of the glove with his foot, knocking the ball out of the glove.

The umpire calls the runner safe ... says the catcher didn't have control of the ball. We argued with the ump ... saying the catcher did indeed have control of the ball during the play, and the ball only fell out of the glove when the ump asked to see the ball ... due to the runner's interference. Ump wouldn't change his call ... runner was safe and the run counted.
My son has taught me everything I know about baseball ... baseball has taught him everything about himself.
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piaa_umppiaa_ump5,000+ posts
I also have asked players to "show me the ball" when a dusty tag play has occured. But that is after I have seen the play. I know the ball was there and the tag made, I just want to see if he controlled it.

The moment the glove opened and the ball was seen in the glove, its done....and subsequent action (such as kicking the ball) would be of no consequence. I've got an out based on what you say in the post.
P pbonesteele100+ posts
Yeah, it was tough to explain that one to a bunch of 11 yearolds ... it was just so obvious. The catcher did indeed present to the ump the ball resting in the pocket of the glove and the runner did literally kick the ball out of the glove ... this is well after the play is done and the dust is settling.

The only thing we could tell the team was just that sometimes an ump makes a bad call ... they are human ... and you just have to find a way to play through it and play your game anyway. We told our catchers to use that as an example of why to grab the ball with your throwing hand and stuff your hand and ball into the glove on the tag ... less chance to loose control on the collision, you can come up ready to throw if there's another play to be made, and when the ump asks you to show him the ball, no ones going to kick the ball out of your hand ... its crystal clear you have control of the ball.
Last edited by pbonesteele
P pbonesteele100+ posts
You know, I was once on the other end of a "ball control" issue.

I was a base ump at a LL Majors game. Runner on 1st. Batter hits to SS, SS throws to 2nd. The 2B-man catches the ball high over his head as he steps on the bag, steps off the bag to make the throw to 1st for the DP, and drops the ball. After recoverying the ball, the throw to 1st isn't in time. I call the runner at 2nd out. The manager of the team at bat explodes out of the dugout, demands that the home plate ump overrule me.

The plate ump comes out to talk to me, asks me what I saw ... I say, 2B-man made the catch clean and was on the bag with the ball under his control. He lost control of the ball on the transfer for the throw to 1st after the out at 2nd was a completed play, so the out stands. Plate ump just nods and walks back to home plate. Out stands. The manager was furious.

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