Runner for the catcher

[bobbybillabong]

Interested in thoughts on this situation.

Team has only 9 players in the game (ie no-one on the bench). Catcher gets a hit and is on first. His dugout calls out for a "runner for the catcher", which is allowed by the plate umpire.

Now Rule 3.04 says that a player on the batting order cannot run for another member of the team, and that the intent of the rule is to eliminate courtesy runners.

I can't recall how many outs (game I umpired last weekend), but the obvious aim was to give the catcher time to suit up. It's a practice I remember in the lower grades from my playing years.

Question is: should the substitute have been allowed?

And if so, what about the effect on the game of putting in a fast runner for the slower-running catcher?

[puff]

I believe the rule in this situation is that the last available player in the batting order runs for the catcher. So if the previos hitter made an out then he would run for the catcher.
Putting a fast runner on in this situation is not in the right spirit of the game.

[kylebyrne]

I agree puff, What we should do as umpires at the start of the game is ask the opposing manager if he is happy for them to allow the last guy out etc to run for the catcher, if he doesnt want to then you have to follow the rule and make the catcher run, but you will find most managers wont have a problem with it...

[bobbybillabong]

puff - I'm wondering when you say "the rule in this situation" whether you mean 'the convention', or whether there is an actual written rule somewhere?

On that, I see that the BQ Rules (2 Sep 09) have a courtesy runner for the catcher as mandatory for junior games with 2 outs.

But... the game I was referring to was a senior game.

As a beginning umpire it's nice to know the source for practices that deviate from the OABRules, and I'm wondering whether this practice is just a carryover in the lower senior levels from a practice at the junior levels.

And if so, at what grade does it stop, and Rule 3.04 start to be applied?

[QBUA]

Hope you don't mind me joining in on this one.

There is not hard written rule about runners for the catcher in seniors.
It is more of a convention, however, some managers will try and get what they want if they can, most go with the norm, that is, a player on the bench first, then the last out.

There is no requirement for a runner to the catcher, (seniors), it is just a way of speeding up the game, if someone on the bench could not be bothered warming up the pitcher.
1. In seniors, someone who is not the catcher, only has to wear a face mask to warm up the pitcher, since there is no batter, there is no requirement for a helmet.

Juniors: My thoughts

2a. If there is an available player in the dugout, (not in the game at present) and (not an ejected person, player left the game due to injury or illness), they are the R/C. Manager may put up an argument if it is the next releif pitcher in this case, he is in the dugout not being used. (Don't pick them if their in the ballpen)

2b. If a junior has been substituted, use them if all players have been substituted because of the 1/2 game participation Rule.

3. If only nine in the dugout, the last out will be the runner for the catcher, unless, circumstances make this not possible.

4. Have the catcher run for himself, as mentioned in (1), have someone else warm up the pitch, it's not that critical if the catcher is not there for all warm up pitchers.
If the catcher is not there to warm up the pitcher, and the pitcher does not go over their 8 warm up throws, we give the catcher maybe 2 warm up throws.

5. Safety Responsibility: If the pitcher elects to warm up with an infielder in their fielding position, the pitcher must not be on the dirt of the mound.

6. If all else fails, and the managers want to argue about who is the runner, the UMPIRE CHOICES. Go with the catcher running for himself.

IMPORTANT: Time Wasting:1. When time is called for the R/C, for some reason, the catcher stays on the base until the runner gets to the base, NOT NEEDED, the ball is dead, they can run past each other to and from the dugout.

2. The team should already know who is the runner, sometimes they take to long to choice who is going to run.

3. If the change of inning has happened, and the catcher is to busy talking instead of getting his proctective gear on, warn them, hustle them on. Depending on the actions of the catchers attempt to get to the plate, determines how many warm up throws the pitchers gets. The whole idea is to have the catcher at the plate as fast as possible for the pitchers warm up, not for them to socialize.

4. If the catcher takes to long, and the game is stopped, and everyone else is ready to play, you can use a big stick on them.
(DO NOT USE THE BIG STICK UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY) Warnings.