Archive - Ask Gino ... The Umpire.
6/24/09
Q. Gino, If a batter hits the ball to the infield
and/or the pitcher and the batter does NOT run to
first base, does the ball HAVE to be thrown to first
base to get the out? Can the runners on base
advance? or is it a dead ball? Thanks, Michael Ware
A.
Great question, since it happens a lot lately
with players not running plays out. The
batter-runner is out when they fail to
advance to first base and enter their team
area after a batted fair ball or a base on
balls. Team area is not entirely defined in
the rule book, but is considered to be the
dugout by a lot of umpires. If there are less
than 2 outs this should be considered a live
ball and runners could advance, if there are
2 outs, then the moment the umpire decides
that the batter-runner enters the team area
is when you have your third out.
So
to answer your question the ball does not
have to be thrown to first for the out, but
the out does not occur until the umpire
decides the player is in their team area, my
advice is to always throw the ball to first
base for the out as soon as possible even if
the runner does not advance to first, just
in case there is less than 2 outs and there
is a runner on third or second. Hope this
answers your question and keep those
questions coming.
I'll see you in between the lines.
Gino
6/10/09
Q. Gino, A batted ball hits the top of the fence
then continues over. What is the call? Home Run or
Ground rule double? Does it matter if it hits the
top of the Fence poll? Is this rule different in ASA,
USSSA and NSA? Thanks, Michael Ware
A.
Another great question about a homerun:
The answer to this one is pretty simple. So
as long as it doesn't hit a player or the
ground before going over, a batted ball
hitting the top of the fence and bouncing
over in fair territory is a home run. And a
batted ball hitting a foul pole above the
fence is a home run. As far as I know it is
the same ruling in every association.
Thanks and keep those questions coming.
12/17/08
Q.
In a typical home run league, a "Canseco" type play,
where it hits off of the fielder and goes over the
fence is a homerun right?
Well, what if a "Canseco" like play happens in a NO
home run league? Is it an out, ground rule double,
or home run?
A.
Great question. A "Canseco" type play where
a fair ball hits off an outfielder and goes
over the homerun fence in fair territory is
known as a four base award and not a
homerun. The way the rule book describes it
is " any fair fly ball touched by a
defensive player that clears the fence in
fair territory should be declared a four
base award, or some people say four base
error, and shall not be included in the
total of over the fence homeruns".
So whether its is a homerun league or not in
this situation the umpire would call a four
base award and the batter and anyone on base
before him would score and it would count.
Thanks, I hope this answers your question.
8/28/08
Q.
Gino, Question is,,,,,,,,, Being that a pitcher is
not considered an infielder.
If a batter hits a line shot, and it hits the
pitcher, then goes foul before it crosses the first
or third base bag,, is it a foul ball?
Great question.
In this case when the pitcher is hit with a
line drive over fair territory and the ball
goes into foul territory before 1st or 3rd
base this is a FAIR BALL.
Also related, if the line drive or batted
ball hits the pitching rubber (not a player)
and then goes foul before 1st or 3rd base
this is a FOUL BALL.
The pitcher is only not considered an
infielder when it comes to a batted ball
that hits a runner. That might be where
those different rules get confused.
Thanks I hope this helps.
Keep those questions coming and I'll see you
in between the lines. Good luck to everyone
in the state tournaments.
Gino the Umpire
7/3/08
Q.
If a batter hits the ball to the infield and/or the
pitcher and the batter does NOT run to first base,
does the ball HAVE to be thrown to first base to get
the out? Can the runners on base advance? or is it
a dead ball?
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A.
Hi Michael, Good question. |
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There are a few different scenarios
that could happen here. |
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First off, to answer your question
about the ball having to be thrown
to 1st base to get the out, the
answer is no. Not if the batter does
not go to first and they return to
their team area or dugout. But it
is a live ball until the batter
enters his team area or dugout,
where it then becomes a dead ball.
The umpire would have to call dead
ball at the moment he thinks that
this happens. When dead ball is
called, if there are other runners
on base they would have to be on the
next base they were going to when
dead ball was called or they would
have to return to the last base that
they occupied when dead ball was
called.
Now if the batter just stood at home
plate and didn't advance to 1st
after hitting the ball then the
defense would have to either go to
first or tag the batter for the out.
One more thing that could happen, is
if the batter is in between 1st base
and home and the defense attempts to
tag the batter and the batter either
stops or goes back towards home
plate. This is an immediate dead
ball and all runners must return to
the last base they occupied.
I hope this answered your question.
Thanks and keep those questions
coming. I'll see you in between the
lines.
Gino the umpire. |
5/6/08
Q.
If you sub a player defensively and he plays
for one out and then comes out of the game
is he considered to have played that game?
If not what is the rule on that?
A.
Great question Newy: In NSA, and USSSA when you sub a
player in and then he is either
replaced with the original player or
another sub, he is considered to
have been in the game and now he is
done for that game. It doesn't
matter that it was for 1 out or not.
But in ASA you can put the sub
in and then the original player
can be reentered for the sub.
Then that sub can go back into
the game a second time only for
the original player he subbed
for, but then the original
player is done for the game. So
technically in ASA you can sub
in twice as long as its for
the same player.
Well I hope I didn't confuse you
on this one.
Keep those questions coming and
I'll see you in between the
lines.
Gino
10/2/07
Q.
If the batter hits
a ball and is ruled a home run by the umpire,
and the batter runs to third and stops and never
makes it to home plate because the coach and the
batter decide to argue the ruling on the field.
After the discussion the batter goes to his
dug-out instead of running from third to home.
The pitcher then appeals the play because the
tournament format says the runner must touch all
bases. What should the call be?
A.
This is a
good question that I've covered somewhat
before. Obviously ,if you have to run all
the bases out for a homerun, and you don't
touch all the bases, it would become an
appeal play by the defensive team to the
umpire that the runner didn't touch a
certain base. If the umpire was watching,
which they should be, then they would call
the runner out for not touching that
certain base. And the twist to this
situation is that the batter-runner is
called out and the homerun still counts in
the homerun total for the team. Ouch, that
would hurt. Thanks for the great question
and keep them coming.
Also I
want to shout out a big good luck to all
the teams participating in any of the
associations state tournaments.
See ya
in between the lines, Gino
7/18/07
Q.
If
a ball is hit in foul territory does the outfielder
have to get it when there is only 3-5 minutes
on the clock. or does the other team provide a new
ball even when the other ball is still inside the
fence?
A.
This is a question that I've ran into a
couple of times. The only place that I have
personally umpired that this has ever come
up is in San Antonio Tx. Sometimes when I
umpire a San Antonio team in Austin and the
ball goes foul the fielder will tell me he
doesn't have to get it. Which I quickly
remind him that he does have to get it. It
seems that at many of the fields there in
SA, that when the ball is hit foul but still
remains in play that the fielder does not
have to get the ball left inplay but someone
from the team batting can go retrieve it and
play can go on. It might be limited to
league night and small tournaments there.
But I don't know of any rule book that says
that you can leave the ball in play in foul
territory. It can be a safety issue, if the
next ball is hit near where that ball is,
the fielder playing the live ball can be
injured by stepping on the ball left there,
or could become confused and play the wrong
ball or run into the person retrieving it
So to answer your question it would not
matter how much time is on the clock, if
there is a ball still inside the fence
in play you cannot pitch the next pitch until
that ball is picked up.
5/9/07
Q.
With a runner on 1st and the ball is hit
into foul and then caught in foul territory. Can the
runner advance from 1st to 2nd
or 2nd to 3rd, etc after the
catch? . ASA or USSSA.
A.
Hi Tony, This
is a good question that usually has players
scratching their heads after this call. In
USSSA and NSA you can advance on a caught
foul ball only if it is not the third strike
foul. (OR extra foul ball ) On the third
strike foul ball it is a automatic dead
ball. No advancement can be made. So in
USSSA you start with a 1 ball 1 strike
count, next pitch for your 2nd strike you
foul it off and its caught in foul
territory. Players can advance if wanted on
this situation. But in USSSA or NSA if you
already have 2 strikes and you hit a foul
ball and its caught for the 3rd strike in
foul territory, it is a dead ball and you
cannot advance. In ASA it is different, when
its a no ball, no strike count to
start, which most real sanctioned ASA
tournaments are ,when you hit a foul ball
after you have 2 strikes and its caught in
foul territory ,it is a live ball and
players can advance. That's why in ASA you
will hear this alot when that 3rd strike
foul ball is hit." Don't catch that, let it
go" . Especially with players on base so you
don't take the chance that they will
advance. Now ASA league nights that use a 1
ball 1 strike count could be different if
your local league night has a rule that over
rides the rulebook rule. So again it's good
to know your local league night rules for
this situation. My advise to you as a
fielder is if it's the 3rd strike foul out
and you know for sure it's going to land a
foul ball, LET IT GO, but if its too close
to the line where it could drop foul or
maybe drop fair, you better catch it. Thanks
for that great question and keep them
coming. Gino the umpire.
1/22/07
Q.
What is the rule concerning which way you
can turn to go back to first after running down the
base line? I was told that the runner could turn
either direction to return to first. I have also
been told that if a runner makes a move to second,
but does not pass the foul line, he can return to
first without risking a tag. When does a motion to
second commit the runner to return to first or run
to second.
A.
This is another
really great question. After over-running first
base, the runner may legally turn to his left or his
right when returning to the base. If any attempt is
made to advance to second, regardless of whether the
runner is in foul or fair territory, the runner is
liable for an appeal out if tagged by a defensive
player with the ball, while off the base. So this is
entirely left up to the judgment of the umpire
whether the runner made an attempt to go to second.
I always look for the runner to actually make a move
with their feet instead of just a head or shoulder
kind of move, but you have to remember that it is up
to the judgment of the umpire. So the best thing to
do is not make any kind of body movement after
over-running first even if you are just joking about
it. Just simply turn and go back to first.
4/30/06
Q.
GINO - You have a very unique style of umpiring which most players get a kick out of.
My question is how did you come up with your style?
-- Chocolate Thunder
A. Well I like to tell the truth as an umpire which I think is very important to being a good fair one. I honestly can tell you I became an Umpire when I was challenged by one when I played 24/7 like ya'll.
I umpire a game the way I want a game umpired when I am playing in one, so that is how that started. I do what comes naturally to me when I see a close play, I mix in some rule knowledge, some personality, a lot of heart and there you have it. I don't umpire mechanically like the associations would really want me too, but I think it works for me after all these years. Thanks for the question and I'll see you in between the lines.
Great question and keep them coming.
Gino the umpire
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