Greater Lowell Umpires Association General Meeting

Greater Lowell Umpires Association General Meeting Mark Byrne President February 26 & March 1, 2017 http://greaterlowellumpires.com/

GLBUA Agenda • Attendance - Lucien Tanguay, Ray Bellerose • General Business- President Mark Byrne • Rules interpretation - Tom Clews

Upcoming meetings for 2017 Mandatory rules meetings: • Sunday, February 26th @ 10:00 am • Wednesday, March 1st @ 6:00 pm Regular membership meetings • Wednesday, March 8th @ 7:00 pm • Wednesday, March 15th (nominations) @ 7:00 pm • Thursday, March 30th (banquet & elections) @ 7:00 pm • Wednesday, April 26th @ 7:00 pm

GLBUA Clinic Dates • February 25th - Tewksbury Little League Building - 10am to 1pm • March 4th - Tewksbury Little League Building - 10am to 1pm • March 8th - Mt. Pleasant Golf Course - 6pm to 7pm (occurs before regular general membership meeting) • March 11th - Tewksbury Little League Building - 10am to 1pm • Wednesday, March 15th (tentative date for MBUA Exam) - Mt. Pleasant Golf Course - 5:30pm to 7pm

Presidents Report • Sonny Robbins 50/50 tickets available $5 or 3 for $10 • Sonny Robbins Scholarship Award forms– • Nominations- Wednesday Mar 15 for the following Positions (2) Executive Board • Banquet form-$35 for a guest • MBUA Report • GLBUA Shirts are available for member AFTER the Meeting • Baseball Equipment is available Frank Neves – Allsports east –www.allsportseast.com 10$ off and free delivery to the meetings

MIAA • For umpires officiating High School Baseball require : • OFFICAL’S BACKGROUND : The MIAA Board of Directors requires a background checks for all game officials - $45 first time fee, Yearly renewal fee is $10 • Registered with Arbiter, please go to miaa.arbitersports.com and do so as soon as possible • NFHS Concussion Training for MIAA http://nfhslearn.com/?courseID=15000

MIAA Notes • Deal with poor bench and on-field behavior early in the contest. • Making bench and on-field behavior a high priority. • Understanding ourselves—our pressure points, our hot buttons, our responses to stressful situations and our non-verbal messages. • Establishing a benchmark on what is or what is not acceptable to you

General Business • Nominations- Wednesday Mar 15 for the following Positions • (2) Executive Board At-Large Members • Banquet & Elections • Thursday, March 30th • Election 6-7 • Banquet 7-10 elections

Sonny Robbins Memorial Scholarship Fund • Feb 26 funds $210 • Mar 1 funds - $105

Sonny Robbins Memorial Scholarship Fund • The GLBUA has established the Sonny Robbins Memorial Scholarship Fund. This award will be given to any umpire in good standing who has a son/daughter/grandson/granddaughter going to/or already in college. It also is available to GLBUA members who are members in good standing and are going to/ attending college. • It is a $500 Cash Award funded in part by the 50/50 raffle at the meetings -Tickets $5 for 1 or 3 for $10.- Please support this worthy fund named after a founding member of this board. The award limits 2 applicants per family. There shall be no duplicate winners of the award

Interpreter Tom Clews • REVIEW OF MLB/MIAA RECENT BASEBALL RULES: • MLB do away with the practice of requiring pitchers to throw four pitches to issue an intentional walk

Runners on 1st and 2nd , one out. Umpires believe there are two outs. Batter hits a popup to third. Third baseman, realizing umpires have not ruled an Infield Fly, drops the ball and steps on 3rd and throws to 2nd for a double play. Umpires should: (a) Let the play stand. (b) Correct their mistake and call the batter out and return the base runners. (c) Invoke another rule and, if so, what rule? (d) Drive home quickly and attempt to delete all evidence you had the game from Walter's Arbiter. • Even though a runner is obstructed, it does not relieve him from his responsibility of touching the base(s). T F • Any time batting out of order is upheld, it will result in a player being ruled out. T F

Bases loaded, no outs. The batter is an improper batter. The batter grounds to third, the third baseman steps on third and throws to second for a double play. The defense now appeals the improper batter: (a) Triple Play. (b) Proper Batter ruled out, runners return. (c) Coach should keep his mouth shut and take the double play. • Runners on 1st and 3rd, one out. The pitcher, from the rubber fakes to 3rd and then throws the ball to 1st over the first basemans head. Umpire rules a balk: (a) Kill the play immediately. (b) Allow the play to continue. Umpire allows the play to continue and runner from 1st gets called out on appeal for missing 2nd and runner on 3rd gets called out on appeal for missing home: (a) Legal play....too bad for you..... (b) Since neither runner advanced, enforce the balk. (c) This is why you kill the play immediately.

Runners on 1st and 3rd, one out. Runner on 1st is stealing, batter interferes with the catcher. (a) Kill the play immediately. (b) Allow the play to continue. Catcher is able to make a perfect throw to 2nd base. The runner from 1st stops and gets in a rundown: (1) 2nd baseman throws runner from 3rd out at home. (a) Let the play stand. (b) Invoke the batters interference. (2) 2nd baseman throws to 1st baseman who tags the runner from 1st out, but runner on 3rd scores. (a) Let the play stand. (b) Invoke the batters interference. (3) 2nd baseman throws the runner from 3rd out at home and runner from 1st is thrown out at 3rd. (a) Let the play stand. (b) Invoke the batters interference.

Any and all offensive interference will result in an out. T F • Any and all offensive interference causes the ball to become dead immediately. T F • Anytime A DH enters the game defensively, this will terminate the DH. T F • Runner on 3rd, one out. A fielder makes a legal catch and his momentum carries him into dead ball area. The fielder does not fall and attempts to make a throw. Umpire rules ball is dead, runner awarded home. T F • A run can never be scored during a play where there is offensive interference. T F • When in a windup position, the pitcher must legally disengage the rubber before throwing to a base. T F • If a pitcher throws to an unoccupied base to make an appeal, it should not be considered a balk. T F • Technically, if a batter enters the batters box with an illegal bat, he may be ruled out. T F

Runner doubles, but misses first. The pitcher comes set and is about to appeal first when he sees the runner on second too far off the base. The pitcher fakes to second to keep the runner close then throws to first for the appeal. Legal Illegal • The batter bunts the ball and drops his bat in fair territory. The ball then strikes the bat and subsequently deflects into the dugout. (a) Foul Ball. (b) Batter is out. • A pitcher going to his mouth, while on the rubber, with runners on base is a balk. T F • If a catcher, without possession of the ball, stations himself in the path of the runner, that action alone, will cause the umpire to rule the runner safe. T F • When does a ball that happens to slip out of a pitchers hand during his delivery become a pitch. When it crosses the foul lines • If a thrown ball to first should happen to pop out of the first basemans glove and roll up his arm and is secured by him in his armpit before the batter reaches first, the umpire should rule the batter out. T F

Greater Lowell Umpires Association General Meeting