Here are several situations for you to read about and think about. How would you make the correct call on all of these situations that have taken place in actual game situations around the state?
Here are two from a great friend and successful former coach at a Wisconsin Division 2 school. He's been staying involved by going out and watching games. The kind of person that is a true fastpitch fan.
Hey Bob,
I have enjoyed attending varsity games as a “fan’’ during the past couple weeks, and saw a few situations I thought were interesting. Would certainly welcome your comments on them.
SITUATION 1:
SITUATION 2:
And here is one that I personally saw occur at a recent game I was watching.
Top of first inning with one out. Batter gets hit in the head with a 62 mph pitch. Umpire sends batter to first but does not check out the player for possible concussed situation. Now with that hit batter at first the #3 batter strikes out on a pitch in the dirt and takes off running to first. the ball had hit the dirt and had been cleanly blocked by the catcher who rose, stepped forward, picked up the ball and attempted to get the runner at first out stealing that brick. Batter runs into catcher in act of throwing and ball sails into outfield with the baserunner being safe at second and not advancing to third.
Coach of team in field calls time out and asks for explanation from home plate umpire as to why that batter who was already out on the strikeout with first base occupied was not called for interference on the play.
Answer was: I didn't see it that way.
Coach then asks: "Do you mean you didn't see the contact that occurred or do you mean that you don't interpret that to have been interference. Now the catcher gets charged with a passed ball or the runners gets credited with a stolen base. Either way you just punished the catcher when in reality she made a remarkable fastpitch softball play.
Umpire says: "I didn't consider it interference."
Coach says, "OK and returns to the bench area."
Discussion ended and was never addressed again during the game.
Whaddaya think?
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