2018 Blessings and Empowerment

Reflecting at years end on what we have done and where we are, can be an empowering instrument of revitalization and motivation. After dozens of exhausting weeks of battling the routine of daily life, it can become difficult to stay focused, overcome negativity and simply continue to believe in what you are trying to accomplish is worthwhile.

Baseball Rules in Black and White signed a five-year author’s agreement with The Cardinal Publishing Group and Blue River Press. The 2019 NFHS & NCAA Baseball Rules in Black and White manuscripts were produced and will be released January 2019.

Mr. Bradley Hungerford, The Executive Instructional Chairman of the California Baseball Umpires Association endorsed the 2019 NFHS Baseball Rules in Black and White.

The National HighSchool Baseball Coaches Association endorsed the 2019 NFHS Baseball Rules in Black and White edition and is partnering to promote NFHS rule education for umpires and coaches using their weekly newsletter.

We have broken ground on two future projects: Official Baseball Rules in Black and White and a Baseball Rules in Black and White IT prototype.

We have maintained and enhanced the Baseball Rules in Black and White website with an interactive umpire and coach’s education page.

I had the privilege to umpire over seventy awesome baseball games for the Northern California Officials Association and Rancho Cordova Officials Associations. 

I cannot express in words my gratefulness for having the loving support and encouragement of family, friends and peers over the years, and what it has meant to me personally. This is why looking back on 2018 was so important, to see the many gifts and rewards Baseball Rules in Black and White has been blessed to attain, we are truly in awe and empowered by these achievements.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Jim Bettencourt, look out 2019 - here we come!

Baseball Rules, Coaches and Umpires

BaseballRules in Black and White is honored to provide the National High School Coaches Association a series of informative articles pertaining to the rules of high school baseball.

Throughout the history of baseball coaches and umpires have had a strained love-hate relationship. At the pregame meetings smiles and handshakes, but once the game begins those welcoming gestures can soon become scorn and contempt by all. 

Personally, having been on both sides of this equation has provided me first hand insight. As a player who later coached, I was sure I had a solid understanding of the rules of the game and had little time for umpires. After becoming an umpire, I quickly realized that I knew the basic rules of the game and not much more beyond that.

One explanation why, I as a player and coach only knew the basic rules of the game, I was way too busy playing, coaching and having fun to ever take the significant time needed to study a baseball rule book. Besides after playing the game so long, I surely had learned all the rules. Right? Wrong!

Now after twenty years as an umpire, it has become too apparent that baseball rule books are complex, they are not fun and for many reasons. For starters, consider the perplexing rule book language and the extra small font. Another problem, one infraction can have several important related rulings scattered (hidden) throughout the book. It is also nearly impossible to quickly locate and process one ruling, that alone multiple related rulings. These are the realities of the baseball rule book and why many players and coaches choose to play the game and leave the exhausting rule book to the umpires.

The National High School Baseball Coaches Association and Baseball Rules in Black andWhite’s goal is to build a long overdue bridge, built with improved communication, mutual respect and enhanced rule knowledge. This is the beginning step in our efforts to create a bridge between Umpires and Coaches that can expand the respectful handshakes throughout every game.