I was working an 8th grade game this week between Plymouth and Fond du Lac. The score was close and Fond du Lac was batting. A player hit a long fly ball over the left fielders head that rolled under the out field fence. I let the player to run the bases and come all the way home. Then my partner went out to verify that the ball was out of play. I then instructed the batter runner he would have to return to second on the ground rule double. The first base coach then came over to me and said that his player was already past second then the ball when the ball went out of play and I should award him third.
I thought to myself this guy can’t be that stupid to think I will fall for this one. I told him there is no such thing as a ground rule triple. The position of the runner has no effect on the ruling. After the inning he was walking off the field and I ask him where he came up with that one. He started to argue again with me then thru up his hands and walk off the field.
This kind of coaching we don’t need in this league. Coaches, coach the kids not the umpires. This was a deliberate attempt to work the umpire and get something he wanted. Now if I would have been a new umpire he may have been able to convince me he knew what he was talking about.
This was the 8th grade level; coaches in this level should know the rules
Dan |
