Baseball Pilgrimages
Baseball Pilgrimages

Book Excerpts
Burns Park (Detroit)
Engel Stadium
Holman Stadium (Dodgertown)
Watching Baseball Smarter

Ballpark Features
Baseball Roadtrips
Batting Practice
College World Series
International Baseball
Opening Day
Top 5 Major League Ballparks

Articles by this Author
How to Get a Baseball at a Major League Ballpark


Baseball Shop
Baseball and ballpark shop
There are many great items in our Baseball & Ballpark Store.

Shop by Category
Aerial Ballpark Posters
Ballpark Map Poster
Ballpark Panoramic Posters
Ballpark Photo Mints
Ballpark Puzzles
Baseball Art
Baseball Bracelets
Baseball Display Cases
Baseball Jerseys
Baseball Keychains
Baseball Phone Cases
Baseball Travel Map
Championship Plaques
Commemorative Coins
Floor Mats
Historic Ballparks Posters
Lapel Pins
Mini Division Standings
Poker Cards
Replica Ballparks
Spring Training Guides
Throwback Jerseys
Vintage Photos


Baseball Pilgrimages
Where the pursuit of baseball never ends.
[Site Map]

American League National League Spring Training Triple-A Double-A Single-A Independent Ballpark Store
 

Umpires and the situations they encounter

Book Excerpt  
Send this page to a friend

Watching Baseball Smarter book HIT BY A PITCH?
If a pitch merely grazes a thread dangling off the hitter's jersey, it counts as a hit by pitch. But if the ump doesn't see it, there's no way to prove it happened.

If, however, the hitter gets nicked on the foot and doesn't get the call, he's not necessarily out of luck. In Game 5 of the 1969 World Series, Cleon Jones got hit by Orioles left-hander Mike Cuellar and was denied first base—until Mets manager Gil Hodges retrieved the ball and showed the ump that it had a shoe-polish smudge.


CONFERENCES
Because there's no delay-of-game penalty for a conference on the mound, the fielding team drags it out when one of its relievers is scrambling to get loose. Sure, the ump will break it up and try to keep things moving, but think about how much time it takes.

First, the manager gives the "yap" sign, prompting the catcher to walk out to the mound (12 seconds) and shoot the breeze with his pitcher (16 seconds).

Then the ump walks out (12 seconds) and says, "Okay, fellas, let's play ball" (2 seconds). He and the catcher jog back to the plate (6 seconds) and settle into their crouches (3 seconds).

The pitcher steps onto the rubber (1 second) and looks at the signs for a pitch he'll never throw (3 seconds). Then he steps off (three quarters of a second), and the manager slowly walks from the dugout to the mound (22 seconds) where he blabs to all the infielders about the free premium channels he has in his hotel room and what movies he's gonna watch after the game (17 seconds).

The ump briskly walks back to the mound (9 seconds) and says, "What's it gonna be, boys?" (2 seconds). The manager tells him that he's gonna go with his southpaw (3 seconds) and asks about the wife and kids (1 second). The ump says they're fine (half a second) and signals to the bullpen (three-quarters of a second).

That's an extra minute and 51 seconds for the guy getting loose—and he still gets to throw eight warm-up pitches when he takes the mound.


VISITATION RIGHTS
The second time a manager or coach visits the pitcher in one inning, even if it's a different coach each time, he must remove the pitcher from the game.

When the trainer heads to the mound, the ump joins him to make sure that the only thing being discussed is the pitcher's health. Otherwise, the trainer could relay instructions from a coach without the team being charged for one of its two visits.


Excerpted from Watching Baseball Smarter by Zack Hample © 2007.
Reprinted with permission by Vintage Books, a division of Random House, Inc.


Watching Baseball Smarter
A Professional Fan's Guide for Beginners, Semi-experts, and Deeply Serious Geeks
272 pages

Whether you’re a major league couch potato, life-long season ticket-holder, or teaching the game to a beginner, Watching Baseball Smarter leaves no territory uncovered. In his smart and funny fan’s guide, Zack Hample explains the ins and outs of pitching, hitting, running, and fielding, while offering insider trivia and anecdotes that will surprise even the most informed viewers of our national pastime.

"Insightful, engaging and funny -- a treat for anyone who loves the game."
 - Keith Hernandez

Available for purchase at Amazon.com


About the Author
Zack Hample is an obsessed fan and a professional baseball writer. He's collected nearly 3,000 baseballs at Major League games, which gave him the expertise to write his first book, How to Snag Major League Baseballs, in 1999. He continues to chronicle his success at snagging balls on his popular blog, The Baseball Collector.

Other articles by Zack at Baseball Pilgrimages:
How to Get a Baseball at a Major League Ballpark

Article comments Feature Section:  Top 5 Ballparks Ballpark Store
Knight Printing in Newnan Follow Baseball Pilgrimages at
Baseball Pilgrimages at Facebook
Baseball seam wristbands
Baseball Bracelets