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Online now: 2 members: Fabe, TABLE SETTER 11; 67 anonymousDetails for Katzy63
Real name:
Mike Katz
Location:
Murrieta, CA
Division:
Men's 60
Messages posted by Katzy63 »Message board home »Start a new discussion
| April 1, 2024 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batter Box Rule I hate this new rule, and I'm sure to get called out a few times in Vegas by it. Since the only use of home plate is for pitching and force outs, and it seems as if we have chimpanzees chalking lines, why don't we have throw down mats for the batters areas? This would be a simple fix, batters boxes would never get wiped out, and even the blind umpire would be able to make that call. When I officiate games, I would always let the coaches know the batter box rule and to not be surprised and yell at me like a child when I enforce it. Batters boxes have been the same for eternity and we've all tailored our hitting with it since Little League. This rule makes sense in the USSSA strike zone type of play, but not in the senior game where decades of learning a craft has to be changed over night. Maybe if the umpires would call the rules as written, batters wouldn't get that extra 6" to 18"? Maybe if an umpire tossed a batter who walked up and erased the line in their at bat preparation it wouldn't have come to this. God I need my meds!!!!! |
| April 24, 2023 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batters Box Rule I do that 98% of the time when the pitcher struggles to throw me a strike, I call time, inform the umpire of my intentions to switch sides, and walk behind both the umpire and catcher to erase any visual that I may have stepped cross the plate. I've been playing and umpiring this game since 1981 and I've only had one person attempt this miserably as I had to call them out for stepping on and across the plate with the pitcher in position and ready to deliver the pitch. |
| Sept. 22, 2017 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Batter unable to complete his at-bat. 1) Yes, as substitute if available would inherit the pitch count at that time. 2) Yes, if no substitute is available the batter would be called out... Or, the batter could just stand at the plate and not swing? Try to get the walk and a CR when he reaches 1st base if there is one available. |
| July 12, 2017 Katzy63 | Topic: Bats Discussion: Quick Bat Question The keywords were, "certification stripped at Easton's urging." One thing that eludes people is that even though the bat has multiple certification marks, the only certification that was done was on ASA's end of the table. Since the other associations allowed 1.20bpf as a maximum at the time, there was no need for them to test a bat that's already been tested with a maximum well below the mark they're looking at since they were all using the same testing principles and actions to determine bpf. Since the maker of the bat asked that the certification be stripped, and it was granted, IMO a 13-yr old bat obviously exceeds the requirements of today's standards since the ball has changed as well. I get that the OP feels more comfortable with it, and that's his choice. But to play Devil's Advocate, the stamps on that particular bat have been out of circulation for quite some time now, thus making the bat illegal for use in sanctioned play by those associations. So, how again do we allow bats illegal for use in ASA, USSSA or any other association into ours? If it has current legal stamps I have no problem with it, but where do we draw the line on equipment that has been found to exceed limits after a period of time and retired by that association? |
| July 10, 2017 Katzy63 | Topic: Bats Discussion: Quick Bat Question How can a bat that's been banned by ASA for nearly two years, and certification stripped at Easton's urging be legal to use? IMO if the bat has the current stamps allowed for any association, not on an associations ban list, and it falls in line with less than 1.21bpf then it's all good. |
| Dec. 2, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: SoCal 50AAA Team Looking to Fill Holes It's being held @BLD Perris |
| Dec. 2, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: SoCal 50AAA Team Looking to Fill Holes It's a Toys 4 Tots tournament held by SCSSA |
| Nov. 30, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: Teams looking for players Discussion: SoCal 50AAA Team Looking to Fill Holes SoCal 50 AAA team looking for a couple of players this weekend at BLD Perris. Due to every excuse under the sun, we had a couple of players bow out of this event. If you're currently looking to play or even fill in when available, drop me a line... mike.katz63@gmail.com |
| Sept. 6, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: SSUSA Arizona Director Rick Seifman I find it funny how a bunch of former lawmen hijacked this thread... |
| Aug. 24, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Top Gun Summer Classic HAHAHA!! I'm not lazy, I always drop a couple of frozen bottles in the bottom of my bag to thaw and drink throughout the day if I'm playing. If I'm umpiring it's a whole different story LOL. But I have that collapsible ice chest on wheels that I bought at Costco and strap that to my bike for the ride. Coolness on my backside feels good in the heat. HAHAHA! |
| Aug. 22, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: Tournaments Discussion: Top Gun Summer Classic Teams don't bring ice chests to tournaments because after lugging them a half mile to the field entrance they have to march the chest right back out to their vehicle. Sure you can sneak water in, but you'll never sneak an ice chest past someone charging you money at the gate to enter the facility. |
| May 15, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: HOME PLATE UMPIRE POSITION That positioning is what I first worked with back in '84 when there were no height restrictions other than above the batters head. These days I stay in the slot behind the right hand box, and it's not that difficult to see a foul ball. Plus I don't have to run through a batter and his bat to bounce out to make a call. And staying on that same side with a lefty in the box makes the hard pulled foul ball easier to see, not to mention the lack of obstacles between myself and getting into a position to see the play and make a call. This weekend I toyed with standing in the opposite slots to see the hard hit foul balls for a couple of games... After getting hit by a half dozen or so balls fouled off I went back to my perch in the right handed batters box slot. |
| Feb. 18, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Intentional walk rule I've personally umpired Jackbrun during a couple of these games with the player mentioned above. Although there seems to be next to no problems when these two teams square off under my watch, things tend to go awry with the other umpires who fill that slot on other occasions. Partly because they think they are doing nothing wrong by circumventing rules in order to make everyone happy, therefore having an easier night and a quick paycheck. Know what you're doing, be humble and willing to admit you made a wrong decision if it comes to that, keep ALL players safe, and keep yourself and the city safe from legal liability. And remember that it's a recreational league with a few tournament players, everyone has to go home to their families and a job to support them. Jack, have you ever considered letting someone else pitch to him during his at bats? Maybe set it up so that the pitching change is done as quickly as possible so that game time isn't lost? I know we spoke of this briefly last week during bp, but from what I can tell, the person in charge of the league is a doufus and can barely manage the league to begin with. |
| Jan. 7, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Question? A 55 yr old who played Major Plus as a 54 year old (this means he played 50 Major Plus) can play 50 Major, but WOULD be counted as one of the Major Plus players for that team. I could be wrong, but just because he aged a year I seriously doubt the Plus tag would drop if playing in the same age group as before. |
| Jan. 3, 2016 Katzy63 | Topic: General and miscellaneous Discussion: Teams and game times for next weekend in menifee Due to teams changing their status, dropping out, or not paying the fee in time along with worry warts about weather, the schedules will get posted as soon as they can... I just received an email stating pretty much that. |
| Sept. 29, 2015 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: No batters box, Umpire calling batter out for hitting outside the batters box If you look at OUR rules, and by that I mean SSUSA, they really want the front line and inside (plate side) lines enforced. Why? Because generally when someone steps past those lines the pitcher is the one in jeopardy. The point I was trying to get across in my previous post was that the culture in our game now is to just let them play, and make as few calls as possible. When you think about a rulebook that consists of a hundred pages, the only things you really want to hear called are balls, strikes and outs. Oh, and the occasional infield fly. Isn't it the umpires job to look for infractions if they do happen? I hate to say how many times I've heard teams scream from the dugout that a guy stepped out of the box, but their view is skewed. Or a pitch is too high or flat. Most of the time the catcher has the same view you do, and laughs about it just as I do. |
| Sept. 29, 2015 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: No batters box, Umpire calling batter out for hitting outside the batters box So any call that has to do with going over and beyond a marked boundary should just be disregarded? Because You think it's a chicken-crap call? Ever get a speeding ticket and tell the cop it's a chicken-crap ticket cause you were only going 5mph over the limit? If so, how'd that work out for you? Since nobody likes the rules that have been in place for decades to be called, why don't we just throw two more defenders on the field and remove the foul lines as well? Hell, since everyone thinks the strike zone isn't what the umpire is calling anyways, let's just put a tee out there for you to hit off of? No more need for an umpire now. |
| July 13, 2015 Katzy63 | Topic: Bats Discussion: USSSA AND ASA BATS? The new "hologram" ASA stamp that does not have a year associated with it is tested differently and won't pass the 1.20/1.21 tests in the same manner as the other bats. These are the ones designed for the low compression .52 cor balls that Bruce mentioned. |
| May 30, 2015 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Foot placement in batter's box before pitch Why move the box forward? The rear of the strike mat is almost at the back of the batters box to begin with, and in my opinion moving the back of the box deeper makes more sense than pulling the forward line closer to the pitcher. I always enforce the box rule as it is written, emphasis on the front and inside lines on contact, and tell both managers at the plate meeting that it will be enforced as well. You'd be surprised how many leadoff batters I ring up on it, as well as the power hitters taking a little too much liberty. As for the batter wiping away the lines prior to getting set in the box, there is a rule pertaining to that as well. Can't remember the numbers on it, but had an umpire warn the same guy multiple times to not do it. Towards the end of the game I told the umpire to just toss him if he's going to continually defy you. Oh I'd never toss for that, I just need those lines so I know where the box is! C'mon Blue! If you're going to continually warn without punishment then why waste your breath? |
| Jan. 30, 2015 Katzy63 | Topic: Rules of the game Discussion: Foot placement in batter's box before pitch The ASA bat goes by the same name and is a "maxload" version. Another version is called the Freak52, it is a one piece bat and comes in balanced or supermax. Hope this helps. |
