hector

STRIKE3 i can appreciate your side of this topic. I have coached and I have umpired. And in these types games I think players need to come to the plate being aggressive. With me its not really trying to get the game over with as much as its trying to have action in the game. Walks are boring and in my opinion do not make players better? I have seen some umps that call strikes " chin to shin" as they say. I try not to do that. However If a kid comes to plate looking to walk and the pitch is borderline I am going to call him out everytime. As a coach I told my subs to be aggressive at the plate. When I played the game we were taught to protect the plate. We were taught to foul off borderline pitches. In these types of games when there is a 3-0 count and the pitcher serves up a fast ball right down the gut and a kid takes the pitch it just amazes me. When I played in games that were not very close I would often swing at ball 4 so I could have another pitch to look at. Also when I coached and I was up by 5 or 6 runs in the latter innings I told my pitchers to go at the batter. Challenge them. Throw ground balls or pop ups. Let the defense make plays behind you. When pitchers throw strikes, umpiring is easy...when they dont, thats when its hard.

Right or wrong the strike zone can change in a game. Early in a game my strike zone is pretty legit. But if a team gets ahead by 8 or 9 runs their hitters had better come up with intention of swinging the bat. And a pitch that is a borderline ball in the first inning is a strike in the later innings in these types of games. Also My strike zone is not a square. A pitch that is just off the plate that is waist high will be called a strike, and if it was knee high it would be called a ball. Good pitchers make Umpires Good.

I think for PC to win it would have to be a lowscoring affair. If Perkins and Smith can shut down the Jumpers offensively they have a chance. But I can't see PC scoring more than 3 against Wallen or Molen.

These two teams meet up in the first round of the district. On paper you have to go with the Briar Jumpers. However the Maroons are starting to play their best ball of the year and are vastly improved. My heart says Pulaski, but my head says the Briar Jumpers. I think it will be a close game either way. What are your thoughts on this one?

:thumb: right on hardball. Walks will Haunt you. I've seen it time and time again.

Give me three solid Pitchers that can shut teams out, and I could play small ball and win. But to be successful in getting out of the region you need 4 things. 1) Good Pitching 2) Good Fielding 3) Clutch Hitting 4) Luck For example: I was calling a game last night and the wind was blowing in from right field. The bases were loaded and a kid hit a ball down the left field line that landed about 2 inches foul. His team lost by one run. If the wind didn't carry that ball foul they would have won. You need a little luck to advance.

They are getting a great shooter that has long range. Congrats to Jonathon from everyone here in Mexico.

The coach needs to make the best decision for 1) his program 2) the team and 3) the individuals. In that order.

I miss playing pitchers hand. I miss the eye black. However I miss the company of my friends and brother. My favorite memory was when the whiffle ball got stuck about 15 feet up into an evergreen tree. We tried to throw a glove up there to dislodge the ball. The glove became stuck also, so we threw another glove. At one time there were 6 gloves, two bats and a whiffle ball stuck in that old evergreen tree. After about an hour and 1000 more throws of varous equiptment and shoes, we finally recovered all the stuff and the game resumed.

:thumb: :thumb: Your Good

:thumb: correct Welcome to BGP

What would happen if the pitch hit the runner while he was on the plate that otherwise would have been a strike if it didn't hit him?

:laugh: :thumb:

I was at an American Legion Tournament this summer in Somerset ( Ricky Bussell Memorial Tournament) and there was a company there that had wooden bats on display. In fact they were promoting a Wooden Bat Tournament to be held later on in the summer. I will try to find out the name of that company this weekend and will post it Monday

What about Louisville Slugger??

Casey County is the best 0-20 team in the Nation.

Some of the better players around the Lake Cumerland area Catcher- Mike Jones Sr. Southwestern Nice player and a great person 3B/1B- Marcus ? ( I dont know his last name) from Casey County. He plays shortstop for the Rebels but is built more like a third baseman, or first baseman. This kid has excellent speed and a good arm. He is a Sr. 2B John Cole ( junior) from Somerset. When he gets on base it puts a lot of pressure on the defense Outfield- Aaron Watts McCreary County Freshman. He can run down balls in the OF with the best of them. Pitcher- John Perkins from Pulaski. Senior awesome competitor

I am 100% sure its a dead ball in both cases in HIgh School. Rule 5-1-1-f 1 and 2 It is a Dead ball immediately when a fair batted ball: 1. touches a runner or umpire before touching any fielder and before passing any fielder other than the pitcher. 2. touches a runner after passing through or by an infielder and another infielder could have made a play on the ball

There needs to be a 20 run mercy rule after the 2nd inning. There needs to be a 15 run mercy rule after the 3rd inning. Once we were 17 runs ahead of an opponent and there was a runner on first. I had the next two players bunt back to the pitcher: because 1) it was an easy out for the defense and 2) it didn't hurt their batting avg. due to it being a sac. I thought it was a good way to get out of bad situation but the other coach didn't see it that way. After the game he let me have it for bunting with a 17 run lead.

It is a live ball in both situations. Once the ball passes an infielder ( other than the pitcher) and in the umpires judgement no other infielder could have made a play on the ball there is no interference and the ball remains live.

Here is a rules question that trips up some people: Runners are on first and third no outs. The infield is playing in on the grass. The batter hits a line drive that hits the runner that is going to second. What is the call.

For the record if the pitcher deflects the ball and it hits the umpire it is a live ball.

:thumb: Correct runners have to be forced before they are allowed to advance. If it hits the ump after it passes an infielder (other than the pitcher) it is a live ball unless there is another infielder that could make a play on the ball.

Years ago if a ball that bounced and hit a batter he was not awarded first base. But that rule has since been changed. The infield fly rule is there to protect the offense. The infield fly rule is a routine play that does not include a line drive or bunt. ( The intentional Dropped ball rule would apply on an intentional dropped line drive or bunt) As stated above the runners can try to advance at but are liable to be put out. So the runner at third should have also been called out.

That score is closer than I thought it would be.