Ask MrUmp1 your rules question.

[MrUmp1]

Fly ball to outfield, player makes diving attempt.  The field umpire watching the play gives the safe signal indicating he did not catch the ball.  It looks as if the player made the catch, can this play be appealed to the other umpire?  Can the other umpire declare the ball caught and the batter out or not?

If the field umpire which is closer than the other called it a no catch, then that is what he saw. To appeal to an umpire that was farther away and maybe not in the best position is not right. It is true that the homeplate umpire is the umpire in chief but we do not over rule other umpires that had a better view. You just don't get to keep asking until someone calles it your way. I have had my share of getting yelled at for not over ruling my partner over the years, but that is what being a team is all about.

[longhorn/26]

Runners on 1st and 3rd.  Pitcher comes set.  Runner on 1st breaks for second.  Pitcher turns to second without disengaging from the mound and throws to ss covering second.  Is this a balk?  I thought pitcher must disengage first before making play on the runner leaving first base?

[MrUmp1]

In that situation he must step off the back of the rubber before throwing to second.

[ldycat]

Being an X coach, I have seen this happen and was wondering if the correct call was made...Batter hits a line drive directly back at the pitcher, it goes off the actual mound rubber and bounces directly in the 3rd base dug-out on the fly never touching anything but the mound rubber. What is the correct call in this case?

[baseball4life09]

That question was answered earlier by him I believe its a foul ball

[MrUmp1]

it is a foul ball. This was a question at an Astros game once I was at and I missed it  lol  Thats how I can remember the correct ruling.

[topgun95]

What's the call? The batter is in the back of the box. Pitcher throws a curveball that breaks over the plate and then hits the batter in the leg. Is it a strike, or dead ball and the batter is awarded 1st base?

[2throwrundown]

What's the call? The batter is in the back of the box. Pitcher throws a curveball that breaks over the plate and then hits the batter in the leg. Is it a strike, or dead ball and the batter is awarded 1st base?

You might need to paint a little bigger picture here.  Did the batter intentionally try to hang out over to get hit?  If so then the umpire should not award first base but instead call it a ball or strike if in the zone.

[MrUmp1]

What's the call? The batter is in the back of the box. Pitcher throws a curveball that breaks over the plate and then hits the batter in the leg. Is it a strike, or dead ball and the batter is awarded 1st base?

I have no idea, even being in the back of the box, how a pitch could cross the plate and still hit the batter. That tells me he stuck his leg out, I would call a strike if it was in the zone, and then tell him not to do it again.

[vidor pirate]

this scenario came about in the vidor-lcm game last night, batter squares up to bunt, pitcher throws ball, batter pulls bat up to take a ball and as he pulls bat up ball hits bat and goes into fair territory, is it a live ball?

[MrUmp1]

Yes it is a fair ball, but since I was at that game last night, I didn't see that happen in that way. There was a bunt called a dead ball strike because the home plate umpire said that the ball hit the batter in the hand when he went to bunt. That was the right call. There is no such thing as hands are part of the bat. If you are swinging or bunting and the ball hits your hands then it is a dead ball strike. If that is the play from last night, the batter was not pulling out of the way that i could see and the home plate ump said it hit his hand which is why the call was made as it was. I was at first base in that game.

[vidor pirate]

Yes it is a fair ball, but since I was at that game last night, I didn't see that happen in that way. There was a bunt called a dead ball strike because the home plate umpire said that the ball hit the batter in the hand when he went to bunt. That was the right call. There is no such thing as hands are part of the bat. If you are swinging or bunting and the ball hits your hands then it is a dead ball strike. If that is the play from last night, the batter was not pulling out of the way that i could see and the home plate ump said it hit his hand which is why the call was made as it was. I was at first base in that game.

alright, thank you very much, i was shielded from that play and didn't see the ball hit his hand, it had a metallic ring, so i assumed it hit the bat, end result was still a sac bunt though

mr.ump u always have great stuff, thanks man

[MrUmp1]

Your quite welcome just remember suckiing up to the ump will not get you any calls...  ;D ;D ;D ;D at least not in the regular season 

[vidor pirate]

Your quite welcome just remember suckiing up to the ump will not get you any calls...  ;D ;D ;D ;D at least not in the regular season 

haha! wish u woulda been at home plate in vidor tonight... that guy was blind

[KFDM COOP]

Heard his strike zone was pretty wide.

[vidor pirate]

Heard his strike zone was pretty wide.

oh, u don't even have the half of it, it magically shrunk when nederland was batting, but yes, a pitch actually hit the dirt in front of the plate and the ump called it a strike, which, of course got a "we're not playing cricket" response, it was well deserved too

[MrUmp1]

Sorry but I got to go to Woodville and do 2 games. Woodville vs San Augustine and East Chambers vs Warren. I did the EC game behind the plate and it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo quiet and relaxing  lol. Nuttin like a little break from the big guys  lol

[vidor pirate]

Sorry but I got to go to Woodville and do 2 games. Woodville vs San Augustine and East Chambers vs Warren. I did the EC game behind the plate and it was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo quiet and relaxing  lol. Nuttin like a little break from the big guys  lol

haha, i only let umps hear it when it's necessary lol

[hitman009]

I have a question. I know it is illegal to touch a player of the opp. team..such as SS touching a lead off runner at 2nd.  But is it allowed to kick dirt intentionally on the baserunner while he was taking his lead.  I was at a game an you could see the SS looking down and kicking dirt on the back of a player on purpose. 

Is this interference????

[hitman009]

I have a question. I know it is illegal to touch a player of the opp. team..such as SS touching a lead off runner at 2nd.  But is it allowed to kick dirt intentionally on the baserunner while he was taking his lead.  I was at a game an you could see the SS looking down and kicking dirt on the back of a player on purpose.   

Is this interference????

No this is not interference.....

so could a batter kick dirt on the catcher while the ball is coming in???? Same difference??

[espn2]

Hey MrUmp,

Well how about making contact with a coach.  At what point is the runner called out for making contact with the base coach.

[MrUmp1]

A coach can not physically help a runner. So he can not pick him up, or grab him to stop his momentum. Runner is out. But it is a delayed dead ball

[vidor pirate]

I have a question. I know it is illegal to touch a player of the opp. team..such as SS touching a lead off runner at 2nd.  But is it allowed to kick dirt intentionally on the baserunner while he was taking his lead.  I was at a game an you could see the SS looking down and kicking dirt on the back of a player on purpose.   

Is this interference????

this is quite hilarious

[hdbasketballstar]

yeah the coach can not aid the runner in anyway. i was at a little league game the other night and the kid hit a homerun. well as the kid was rounding third, the third base coach gave him a high-five and the opposing coach went ballistic. trying to take the kid's homerun away because he touched the coach.  he was yelling that the coach cannot touch him blah blah blah haha. well he ended up getting tossed out of the game, and afterwards the umpire went and showed him in the rule book the part that says assist, not touch. haha

[longhorn/26]

Runner on 3rd base with two outs.  Batter hits slow roller up the first base line.  The pitcher comes over and fields the ball and elects to tag the batter/runner for the out instead of throwing the ball to first.  The batter/runner stops and retreats a few steps to avoid the tag.  Meanwhile the runner from 3rd scores before the batter/runner is tagged out.  Does the run count or does the batter/runner have to reach first base safely before this rule applies?