G REATER L OWELL U MPIRES A SSOCIATION G ENERAL M EETING John Hansbury President March 11, 2015

Treasurer Report & Banquet Treasure's report - Dennis Hansbury Banquet - Mark Byrne- – Dates: April 1, 2015 – Time: 6:30 – Place: Mount Pleasant Golf Club 114 Staples Street in Lowell, MA Nominations April 1, 2015 Elections – Held April 29 th – The LAST meeting- Members are welcomed to vote anytime between 6-8 PM

GLBUA Agenda Jackets will not be given out after 645 when the general meeting is in progress, they will be available after the meeting Attendance - Lucien Tanguay, Ray Bellerose General Business- President John Hansbury Treasure's report - Dennis Hansbury Banquet - Mark Byrne Rules interpretation - Tom Clews

General Business MIAA roster is in- If you have not contacted the secretary please do ASAP if you want to be on the roster Background checks- NOTHING has been spelled out by the MIAA Meetings - All regular members MUST attend a minimum two scheduled meetings unless notification is given to the Secretary. Members who have lost family members contact the Secretary. Persons that have NOT met their CLINIC Requirement need to contact the clinician

General Business General Meeting Dates- March 11th, March 18th, March 25th, April 1st (banquet & nominations) and April 29th (Elections) Sonny Robbins Award – 50/50 raffle will help fund the Award Changes – Banquet is April 1 st – NOT the Last meeting. Nominations will be held the same night Elections – Held April 29 th – The LAST meeting- Members are welcomed to vote anytime between 6-8 PM Forms for the Banquet, Sportsman Award & Sonny Robbins award Available at the attendance table please pick one up at the end of the meeting

Presidents Report Sonny Robbins Award MBUA Constitutional Changes Clinics -Winter Clinic, 13 individuals took and passed the exam on March 7 th. Another 6 are currently studying and will take the exam the first week of April Questions?

Sonny Robbins Memorial Scholarship Fund This year the GLBUA will be starting the Sonny Robbins Memorial Scholarship Fund. This award will be given to any umpire in good standing who has a son/daughter going to/or already in college. It also is available to GLBUA members who are members in good standing and are 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

GLBUA Baseball Interpreter Rule 6.02(d) One foot in the Batter's Box: Major League Baseball has adopted having the batter keep one foot in the batter's box following the call of a ball or a strike where the batter does not swing or the pitch does not cause the batter to move. There is, however, no "on field" penalty for failure of the batter to comply. Similarly, the MBUA will encourage and implement the rule as effectively and stringently as possible during all MIAA baseball contests realizing that, in compliance with the Major League rule, there is no "on field" penalty. However, in extreme case(s) where the batter simply refuses to comply, the umpire has the option of invoking existing rule 6.02(c) which states the batter's refusal to get in the box can result in the umpire calling a strike on that batter.

GLBUA Baseball Interpreter Rule Changes 2015 MLB Rule 7.13 will now replace the NCAA Collision Rule at HOME PLATE ONLY. The NCAA Collision Rule will apply to all other bases. In an effort to eliminate virtually any and all contact at Home Plate, unless he is in complete possession of the ball, the catcher must now provide the runner with a clear, unimpeded path to Home Plate. Unlike the NCAA rule which permitted the catcher to be in the baseline as he was in the act of receiving the throw, the MLB rule prohibits any part of the catcher's body (e.g. his leg extended) to be in the base path of the runner. For violation of the rule, the umpire is to rule the runner safe. Although not clearly defined as such in the 2014 Rules, the interpretation is to treat the violation as 7.06(a) type obstruction. Conversely, the runner cannot deviate from the base path and make contact with the catcher. The runner's legal contact can occur during a feet first (butt on the ground) slide or head first (torso on the ground) slide. The runner's lowering of his shoulder or use of his hands or arms would be considered a violation of the rule. For violation of the rule, the runner is declared out and all runners return to the last base legally occupied at the time of contact. EXCEPTION: In cases where, in the umpire's judgment, the catcher is forced into the base path of the runner in order to catch the throw, he will not be adjudged of being in violation of the rule. Any contact between the catcher and the runner would then be deemed unavoidable and legal.