Just umpire interjection???

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At a pony tournament today, we were home team and took the field for the top of the 1st inning. Our pitcher took the new ball and rolled it around in the dirt before she threw the first warm up pitch. The umpire told her he would throw her out of the game if he saw her scuff up the ball again.

Is there a rule in pony against this or was he just pushing his weight around?

 

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I can tell you that under high school rules the penalty for using dirt to scuff the ball can be ejection. You are only allowed to use our hands to rub the "newness" off the ball.

 

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This will make an interesting Topic at the next Interpretations Meeting.
NFHS 6-2-2 states ..........nor shall any other player apply a foreign substance to the ball..........Under the supervision and control of the umpire, powdered resin may be used to dry the hand.


Personally I can't justify "Dirt" as a foreign substance since that's what the game is played on, and the ball gets hit in it all the time. Yet with an umpires supervision a player can apply a foreign substance i.e. (Resin) to dry their hands. As an umpire I have the right to inspect the game ball for defects or if I suspect a foreign substances has been applied. But "Dirt"?JMHO!


FASTPITCH! Anything else, And you're playing to SLOW!

 

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No, dirt certainly isn't foreign to the field. But it is foreign to the ball. Open a new ball from the plastic wrapper and it doesn't come with pre-applied dirt.

Balls do get dirty just from normal game play and that is to be expected. However, the rule doesn't say a dirty ball is illegal. It says that a player specifically applying dirt to the ball is. Those are two different things.

I've never worked a PONY game and don't have a PONY rule book, but it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they follow most other codes and prohibit the application of foreign substances on the ball. Plus, rubbing the ball on the ground can scuff the ball and I bet they prohibit that too.

Rubbing up game balls with a little dirt, to take the slick "shine" off of them, should be done by the umpires before a new ball is put into play.

 

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as an umpire ,myself- I take dirt im my hands and rub the balls before the game. It takes the wax and slipperryness off the ball

 

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So, should our pitchers ask the umpire to take the slickness off the ball before they throw their pitches?

I told her to rub dirt in her hands, wipe them on her pants, and then rub the ball through her hands, would that work?

 

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This happened to dd last year- she put her fingers in the dirt and then used that hand and grabbed the ball out of her glove while in the circle. Blue stopped the game- walked out to her, and told her she was not permitted to apply dirt to the ball with her hands- that dirt was a foreign substance. (she was only 10) Blue handled it very well and spoke to her quietly (it was HOT that day) he told her to drop the ball on the ground, and then pick the ball back up....he then proceeded to drop the ball, and HE used his foot to put a little dirt on it, then handed the ball to her.

 

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pitch the first 2 warm up pitches down into the ground 20ft from the catcher. issue solved

 

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When I was a catcher I'd just "accidently" drop the first warm up pitch, pretend like I couldn't find it and kick it around a little, pick it up and rub the dirt in a bit, and throw it back.

 

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So, should our pitchers ask the umpire to take the slickness off the ball before they throw their pitches?

I told her to rub dirt in her hands, wipe them on her pants, and then rub the ball through her hands, would that work?

Either of those would work for me. So long as it's not something blatant, like the pitcher rubbing the ball on the ground or picking up a big scoop of dirt and applying that directly to the ball.

If it's between innings and she has warm-up pitches, she could always just throw a low pitch or two in the dirt.

 

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Umpires normally ask us to rub the ball up with dirt before our NCAA games. I'm sure the girl who was rubbing the ball against the ground didn't actually mean to scuff up the ball so she could then throw nasty breaking pitches. It seems to me the umpire simply could have shown her how to work some dirt into a ball with your hands and left it at that.

 

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I think we were your opponent for that game sad (16-U in Boardman?). Saw it happen though I can't say I heard him threaten ejection. Even so, that umpire had a chip on his shoulder the whole game about anything and everything. I asked to have a "last out" courtesy runner in that same pool game for my catcher who has a sprained ankle, and thought I was going to get my head bit off even though previous umps had been allowing them all day. I have to say the rest of the umpires we had all weekend were excellent ... of course, they always miss a few calls.

 

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I think we were your opponent for that game sad (16-U in Boardman?). Saw it happen though I can't say I heard him threaten ejection. Even so, that umpire had a chip on his shoulder the whole game about anything and everything. I asked to have a "last out" courtesy runner in that same pool game for my catcher who has a sprained ankle, and thought I was going to get my head bit off even though previous umps had been allowing them all day. I have to say the rest of the umpires we had all weekend were excellent ... of course, they always miss a few calls.

Yes, coachjwb, that is the tournament/game we were in and you are right about the ump. He actually went over to the dugout after we had 3 outs to tell her if he sees her doing it again she is out. Crazy. He defnately had a chip on his shoulder. Really felt like he had something against our pitcher at first. But you are right about the sub. Our fans even said something about that! He was over the top! ;&

 

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Sad ... as you may be aware, the tournament originally had posted rules which included one that said no metal cleats at 16-U ... but after I asked about it, the TD sent out a note to all managers that he was changing it and that metal cleats could be used. Apparently one of our opponents today hadn't seen that message and inquired to the umpire about some of our players wearing them. I explained that it had been changed by the TD, and the other coach said that it had also come up on Saturday with them, and I believe it was the same umpire who told them that the TD had no power to change the rules!

 

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Wow!! I did hear that they changed the rule for cleats. We are a 14u team so my dd doesn't have metal anyway. Next year for her. :lmao:

 

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Over Officiating!!! Unless she is really scuffing the ball up in the dirt, or doing something obvious go back to zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.......