Question: In high school baseball and softball, what criteria do umpires use to rule on a checked swing strike/ball call (wrists, bat barrel, body)?
Answer: Umpires judge if barrel of bat/movement crossed past body as well as if player actually swung at pitch. (BB – Rule 10, Sec. 1, Art. 4; SB – Rule 2, Sec. 11 & 10-1-4)
Question: If a scorekeeping error is noted at the end of the game, can a team appeal for correction?
Answer: Scoring errors should be corrected immediately. If scoring affected final outcome, it must be presented to umpires before they leave the playing field. (BB – Rule 10, Sec. 2, Art. 3(m); SB – Rule 10-2-3(n))
This item concludes the column for the year. Anyone interested in becoming a certified high school umpire should call Mike Lynch at (201) 437-3381 or Gene Klumpp Sr. at (201) 563-0704. Classes start Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2011.