Baseball's Answer Key, It's Awesome

Remember back when you were in school, the first day when you approached the teacher and while looking down on the desk you could hardly believe what your eyes were seeing. Yes, as unbelievable as it seemed there it was. The answer key.

Seeing that answer key was a life changing experience that caused me to reflect on many levels. First, was my teacher not that smart after all?  Second, where could I get a copy of the answer key? Third, but most important and relevant thought that crossed my mind that day, now wouldn’t that make things much easier? 

Now here I am some five decades later not only typing and sharing my first answer key experience, but also relating it to an analogy for Baseball Rules in Black and White.  

You see baseball rule books are not what most would think.  Most believe it is simple, a book filled with rules, read the rules, understand the rules and apply the rules. End of story. But no, this is not the end of the story.

The many different versions of baseball rule books all are collections of poorly worded, fragmented run on sentences with related rulings randomly scattered throughout the book all in tiny font that would cause the greatest of scholars to seek therapy. I have no idea why baseball rule books are written this way, but they are. Trust me.

Until now.  A very stubborn man (that would be me) decided to make an enhanced educational baseball rule book resource, which takes us back to my grand visions of the very first answer key I ever saw on my teacher’s desk that fateful day some fifty years ago. 

As an umpire for seventeen years I was stymied by the conventional rule book's format and language, those days are gone.  I never had a teacher in school ever provide me with their answer key. That said I am now offering you the answer key to baseball rule books. Baseball Rules in Black and White.

The hours and days of senseless searching, page turning as those horrible feelings of hopelessness destroy any hope of ever understanding what you are attempting to read are now over. We have created an answer key for baseball rule books. Baseball Rules in Black and White has just released the 2018 College Edition, to be followed very soon by the 2018 High School Edition.

If an answer key works for teachers, why not umpires?

2018 College Edition Amazing Table of Contents

Contents Foreword ............................................................................ix

Introduction ..................xiii

Balk ................................................................................................1

Definition ..........................................................................................2

It is a Balk When ..............................................................................3

Pitching Violations ...........................................................................7

Author’s Summary ...........................................................................8

Hidden Ball Trick ............................................................................10

Base Awards ...........................................................................13

One Base Award ..............................................................................14

Two Base Award .............................................................................15

Three Base Award ...........................................................................17

Author’s Summary ..........................................................................18

Base-Runner Out on Appeal / Squeeze Play / Catch and Ca...........19

Base-Runner Legal Appeal .............................................................20

Catch and Carry ...............................................................................22

Squeeze Play ....................................................................................23

Batting Out Of Order .......................................................25

Legal Appeal ...................................................................................26

Batting Out of Order Rulings ..........................................................27

Author’s Examples...........................................................................29

Author’s Summary ..........................................................................32

Changing a Catch or No Catch Ruling...................33

No Catch to a Catch ........................................................................34

Catch to a No Catch ........................................................................35

Infield, Fly Ball No Catch to a Catch .............................................36

Charged Conferences .......................................................37

Defense & Offense .........................................................................38

Defense Only ..................................................................................39

Pitcher’s Removal When ................................................................41

Defensive Conference Begins and Ends ........................................42

Offense Only ..................................................................................43

Designated Hitter - P/Dh ...............................................45

P/DH - Nine Man Lineup ..............................................................46

Two ways a (P/DH – Nine Man) lineup becomes a (Ten Man) lineup......47

 P/DH Terminated .........................................................................49

Ten Man Lineup ............................................................................50

Ten Man DH Terminated ..............................................................52

Pinch Hitter or Runner in a Nine or Ten Man Lineup ..................53

Infield Fly Rule ..................................................................55

Infield Fly Rulings ........................................................................56

Infield Fly Not in Effect ............................................................57

Author’s Notes Infield Fly ........................................................59

Interference....................................................................... 61

Batter’s Interference Rulings .................................................62

Batter’s Interference, Catcher’s Return Throw to Pitcher …....64

Back Swing and Follow Through ..........................................65

 Author’s Summary ..................................................................66

 Defensive (Catcher’s) Interference ........................................67

Interference ......................................................................69

Definition .................................................................................70

Coach’s ....................................................................................71

Umpire’s ..................................................................................72

Base Awards ............................................................................74

Interference .....................................................................75

Runner’s .................................................................................76

Misplayed Ball -Interference or Obstruction ...........................77

Running Lane ................................................................78

Runner Hit by Fair Batted Ball ................................................79

Obstruction ......................................................................81

Definition .................................................................................82

Type 1 Rulings .........................................................................83

Type 2 Rulings .........................................................................84

Batter-Runner Obstructed ........................................................85

Pitching ..............................................................................87

Set Rulings ..............................................................................88

Windup Rulings ......................................................................91

Pitcher Substitution .................................................................94

Slide .....................................................................................95

Legal Slide ..............................................................................96

Legal Slide Illustration ...........................................................97

Illegal Slide ............................................................................98

Force Play - Slide Rule .........................................................99

Substitutions Definition............................................... 101

Legal Substitution .................................................................102

Illegal Substitute ...................................................................104

Warning-Ejections / Bench and Field Conduct ............... 107

Game Misconduct .................................................................108

Fight Rule .............................................................................109

Ejection................................................................................ 110

Official Warning.................................................................. 112

Verbal Abuse (Bench Jockeying) ........................................ 113

Offensive Coach and Team ................................................. 114

Code of Ethics ..................................................................... 116

Acknowledgements ......................................................... 117

About The Author ...........................................................123 

www.baseballrulesinblackandwhite.com

Baseball Rules in Black and White Wishing You a Happy 2018 New Years

2018 College Edition and Me

The very first soft cover copy of my 2018 College Edition of Baseball Rules in Black and White was delivered to me and sits on my desk as I type. 

It was a year in the making, filled with hundreds of hours of tedious, grueling deconstructing baseball rule book language and restructuring it into Basic English. 

Next, related converted rulings were gathered and placed under their own chapter.  Related converted rulings in each chapter then had to be listed logically in order of importance and sequence.

Then every converted ruling had additional related sub-rulings that had to be converted into Basic English, collected and applied to each converted main ruling as needed.  Next, each converted sub-ruling had to be listed logically in order of importance and sequence under the converted main ruling.

Including these converted sub-rulings is crucial in order to produce the entirety of the ruling, so the reader is provided a complete visual imprint of both the main ruling and sub-rulings. This is key in order to process, retain and then accurately apply a complete ruling later during a game when an infraction takes place.

Having said all this, I guess it is not just a soft cover book sitting on my desk but rather a part of myself that I never knew existed before this moment.

 

2018 College Edition now Available in eBook

The 2018 College Edition of Baseball Rules in Black and White is now available in eBook. Purchase your copy simply clicking on the above highlighted wording. 

To purchase your 2018 College Edition in book form go to our Baseball Rules in Black and White website.

The 2018 High School Edition will be available at the end of January 2018

Merry Christmas from Baseball Rules in Black and White

Umpires, make the right call! Coaches, get the right call! Buy your copy of the 2018 College Edition of Baseball Rules in Black and White at: www.baseballrulesinblackandwhite.com

2018 College Edition News Story: http://www.actionnewsnow.com/content/sports/Local-author-writes-college-baseball-rules-book-465121373.html

Improving Baseball’s Deceptive Rule Book

Most have been misled to believe that when an infraction happens during a baseball game that the umpires simply apply the correct ruling, and end of story. Wrong!

In reality there are infractions that take place, let’s say Batter’s Interference for example, where there over twenty (20) different rulings (possibly more or less) that can be called depending on what takes place during and after the infraction. 

An elite group of really, really good umpires know and can correctly apply the majority of all these rules . Too few umpires know and can correctly apply most of these rules. The majority of umpires know and can correctly apply some of these rules.  Umpires are not to blame for this disparaging conundrum, umpires have been challenged, misled and deceived by non-other than, the baseball rule book.

Baseball Rule Books while having been given a near biblical status in the realm of the baseball / umpire world are actually inept at providing the total perspective that is needed to grasp, retain and apply a completely correct ruling. The inept deceptive baseball rule books by not only their words, but by their poor overall format causes the failures and breakdowns when a complicated infraction takes place during a baseball game.

Baseball rule books scatter related rulings regarding an infraction randomly throughout the rule book. In order to locate them, one level of play does not provide page numbers, only rule numbers. At most levels of play finding individual rulings requires going to the back of the book to the index that is in number six font.  The table of contents in the front of the book lists chapter topics to specific actions of the game such as, Pitching, Batting, Baserunning and Umpiring to name a few and all of the hundreds of rulings and penalties that apply are all mixed randomly throughout those chapters. Now go find them and connect them on your own, good luck with that. Yes, I know they even misspell Base Running.

The unique reader friendly format and content in the 2018 College Edition of Baseball Rules in Black in White, which is heavily endorsed by D-I & II umpires and assigners and is registered in the United States Copy Write Office is not deceptive. This book has been designed to be an educational resource that teaches the entire rule of an infraction for each specific level of play. Baseball Rules in Black and White is “A Better Way to Learn and Apply the Rules of Baseball.”

Baseball Rules in Black and White's 2018 College Edition is Now Available

2018 College Edition

1. The 2018 College Edition has accurately converted difficult rule

book language and small print into (easy to read and understand) sentences, in

large font.

2. Each chapter in the  2018 College Edition is filled with related rulings, sub-rulings and examples with content formatted logically in order of sequence and importance. 

                                                                                                                       

3.  Over 400 converted rulings in the  2018 College Edition , each one includes the official rule and page number.   

 Buy it Today at: www.baseballrulesinblackandwhite.com

4. Chapters in the 2018 College Edition are listed A to Z in the Table of Contents, also included are related sub-ruling page numbers which provide amazing speed when locating rule information.

5. The converted rulings in the 2018 College Edition have been validated by (accomplished and respected) Division I & II College Umpires, Assigners and Rule Advisers for accuracy.

“A Better Way to Learn and Apply the Rules of Baseball!” TM

2018 College Edition is Now Available!

2018 College Edition is Now Available

Our 2018 College Edition is now available, it has been created through a collaboration of dedicated, knowledgeable and highly respected baseball umpires, assignors and professional rules consultants.

This 2018 College Edition is the second in our series of enhanced learning resources for frequently called and complex rules of baseball, targeting each specific level of play. By enhancing baseball rule book language and the overall format, we are improving the value (knowledge) to the reader, while supporting the actual source of those rulings.  NCAA, Division I, and College World Series umpire, Mr. Billy Haze, has defined the Baseball Rules in Black and White series as the “Cliffs Notes for official baseball rule books”.

Baseball Rules in Black and White accomplishes this in several ways. First by collecting and organizing related rulings then placing them under a definitive chapter. Black and White also converts confusing official rule book grammar into an easy to read and retain format. Baseball Rules in Black and White's  2018 College Edition complements the NCAA baseball rule book by providing official NCAA rule and page numbers with every converted ruling. This allows the reader to quickly find and cross-reference (via official rule book or internet) with the official ruling.

An effective baseball rules resource should take you directly to a rule, use straightforward language to convey a clear and decisive interpretation, all while retaining accuracy. We are positive you will find Baseball Rules in Black and White’s 2018 College Edition to be that resource!

Baseball Umpire's Endorsement Nothing Better

One of the most frustrating challenges I’ve experienced in thirteen years of umpiring baseball is trying to decipher the written hieroglyphics of the baseball rule books. Consistently confusing for the sake of being confusing. Reading the rule book causes most anyone to come away scratching their head asking themselves, “What the heck do they mean by that statement?” It’s nearly as bad as reading a book on real estate law.

James Bettencourt has done something most people are not willing to do; identify a problem and do something proactive to affect change, not just for himself, but for the baseball community at large.

Converting baseball rule book language into an easily understood resource is a tremendous undertaking and illustrates an incredible amount of integrity. While James has done this with the most inexperienced umpire in mind, experienced umpires benefit as well. Both rookie and veteran umpires gain an improved ability to interpret and apply the rules of baseball correctly.

However James didn’t just write this book for the umpires’ benefit, definitely not! Coaches are just as befuddled by the rule book as the umpires are. Ask any baseball coach what the most frustrating thing is during a game. Nine out of ten times they’ll say it’s the incorrect rule interpretation. The odd thing is that many coaches don’t know the rule is being misinterpreted, because they have the same problem understanding the convoluted rule book language as the umpires do.

By writing an easily understood companion to the NFHS rule book, James is helping umpires and coaches bridge the gap. Sports officials continually battle to improve an existing culture of poor communication. The unique format and agreeable content in Baseball Rules in Black and White builds a spirit of cooperation between coaches and officials, instead of an us versus them mentality. I truly believe this begins with a transparent, easily understood and correctly interpreted rule book. This series of books, Baseball Rules in Black in White, contains all three of these elements.

This book should be required reading for all high school baseball umpires, coaches and fans.  I find it interesting how something so simple is having such a desired and positive effect. Thank you James for thinking outside the box and providing something that has always been needed but for unknown reasons never produced.

Colin Brown, NAIA, GSAC, CCCBUA

 Bio: Colin Brown has been a baseball umpire for thirteen years, two years at the NAIA level, three years at the Junior College level, five years at the High School level, and ten years at the Little League and Pony level. In 2014 he attended the Black & Blue Umpire (2 man camp) in Sacramento, Ca. and in 2016 the (3 man camp) in Riverside, Ca. Colin works as a 911 dispatcher in the Bay Area and resides in Vacaville California.

Baseball Rules Half the Story

For decades umpires have had beat into their brains keep your nose in the rule book, “Know the Rules!” Is this enough? I would say while keeping your nose in the rule book in order to learn a rule is a good idea, in reality it is a bridge half built.                                                                                                                                                Umpires in the game of baseball who have been told to know the rules only know half the story, knowing half a story can have serious consequences.

In baseball knowing a rule is important. What is just as important is knowing all the related sub-rulings that can be connected to each rule.  These sub-rulings can alter a ruling, inject additional rulings or completely reverse a ruling.

Sub-rulings can apply or not apply. Additional sub-rulings could then apply and all this could  be changed by the random actions of the players during the play as well as the number of outs or which base the play takes place. Now, if you are thoroughly confused, you have a clear understanding why we have hundreds of problems on baseball fields every year.

Official rule books while being official are far from a reliable educational resource to help identify sub-rulings,  considering the related sub-rulings are not connected to each ruling and are scattered randomly through-out the rule books.

So, while the hapless umpire learns a rule in the morning, then walks onto the field to apply his baseball rule knowledge later that day, he instead just might be walking off a half built bridge.

Umpire Associations across the country would greatly benefit by emphasizing the entire story to umpires regarding rule knowledge.  In order to make a completely accurate call umpires must learn and apply the related sub-rulings as well.  

Baseball Rules in Black and White

"A Better Way to Learn and Apply the Rules of Baseball"

Just the Beginning

So many amazing engagements in play for Baseball Rules in Black and White, currently:

1. Within 7 days the heavily endorsed 2018 College Edition of Baseball Rules in Black and White will be released.

2. By the first of the year we will have both, the widely anticipated 2018 High School Edition and the 2018 College Edition available. 

3. Early in February 2018 we have been invited to address a 120 member umpire association to discuss baseball rules, which will include both 2018 Editions of Baseball Rules in Black and White.

4. A Northern California umpire association has confirmed it will be using the Baseball Rules in Black and White format and content to train their umpires for the upcoming 2018 season. Their reason: “It’s much simpler to process”.

6. A national D-II coordinator for college umpires approves of the 2018 College Edition, along with major endorsements from D-I & D-II college umpires and assignors. Again, their reasons: “It’s much simpler to process”.

7. As these accomplishments continue to evolve we have other ground breaking technological and international developments we are pursuing in our efforts to be continually improving Baseball Rules in Black and White.

These successes are just the beginning for what is to come for this long overdue educational resource that is truly “A Better Way to Learn and Apply the Rules of Baseball”. Baseball Rules in Black and White is real, it is here to stay and best of all it teaches the rules of baseball tenfold better than the existing language and format in antiquated baseball rule books.

Have a very Merry Christmas from all of us at Baseball Rules in Black and White!