Other Little League Baseball Question

[dychen]

I know we basically deal with slowpitch, but I figure a lot of you guys probably have an idea about baseball.

Batter reaches base on a wildpitch/pass ball (Ball 4). As the catcher goes to the backstop to retrieve it. First base coach gives the kid a high five. Other team's coaches start screaming it's a live ball coach can not interfere with runner. Want's an out, the kid umpire (in his teens) gave in and called batter/runner out. Is this the correct call?

 

[Duriisimo]

bad call. The runner cannot be assisted by the coach or any other offensive player. High five is not assisting.

 

[dychen]

That's what I figure, we had a few calls go against us because the other coaches basically put up a stink and tried to intimidate the umpire. Oh well that's why it's little league baseball, so the parents can be heroes.

 

[BretMan]

One of the most enduring rule MYTHS in baseball and softball rears its ugly head yet once again.

Base coaches may not assist a runner during a live ball. Assisting is not the same thing as touching. Assisting means to actually do something that physically aids the runner in running the bases, like helping them up if they tripped, or grabbing ahold of them if you don't want them to advance, or pushing them toward a base when you want them to go.

Somewhere along the line, this was misinterpreted to where many think any touch of a runner is some sort of rule violation. It's not. Heck, I can remember blow ups about this when I played youth baseball, and that was a looong time ago! Now, not aseason goes by where I don't see this come up at least half a dozen times. The MYTH just won't die...

No, this wasn't the right call, for baseball or softball. Too bad the defensive coach didn't know the rule and too bad he bullied a 15 year old kid into making the bad call. But that's youth baseball for ya.

 

[mrcub8]

I'd say to aid/assist or impede/restrain the runner should cover it.....

 

[MDUmp]

For next time...

Rule 7.09 - It is interference by a batter or runner when - (i) in the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists that runner in returning to or leaving third base or first base.

They even include your scenario in one of their interpretations:
Play - Batter crushes a belt high fast ball and clears the centerfield fence for a home run. While circling the bases the 3rd base coach gives the home run hitter a congratulatory high five. Should the umpire call the runner out for touching the 3rd base coach?
Answer: As you can see by the wording above, it is NOT assisting the runner leaving third or returning to third, it is a happy moment and nothing should be done and certainly don’t call the runner out.

 

[AH23]

For next time...



They even include your scenario in one of their interpretations:
Play - Batter crushes a belt high fast ball and clears the centerfield fence for a home run. While circling the bases the 3rd base coach gives the home run hitter a congratulatory high five. Should the umpire call the runner out for touching the 3rd base coach?
Answer: As you can see by the wording above, it is NOT assisting the runner leaving third or returning to third, it is a happy moment and nothing should be done and certainly don’t call the runner out.

This exact thing happened to our 12 year olds a couple of years ago in the Championship game at Districts. One of our kids hits a walk off in the 7th or 8th and as he rounds thirds high fives 3B coach. 30 minutes later after getting a hold of the Regional Office in San Bernardino the kids got to celebrate.

These are the same umpires who called a catch the next year when one of my kids hit a ball off of the top of the fence, ball hit the irrigation piping on top of the fence, bounces about five feet in the air back into the field. My player is standing on 2B and field ump calls him out on a catch :wtf2:.... I've never gotten to the blue so fast in my life. These idiots again had to call San Bernardino, and I had to protest the game to get them to do that. The best part was while I'm talking to the home plate ump I ask him if the catcher can catch a foul ball off of the backstop as long as it doesn't touch the ground and he says "No".. I just shook my head in amazement.....