I attended a baseball coordinators meeting yesterday at the MSHSL office and received information that conflicted with something I said at the all hands meeting on Saturday.
This is regarding the requirement to have baseballs that are stamped with both the NOCSAE and NFHS markings. I said that if the school doesn’t have approved baseballs you don’t play the game. This is incorrect. The expense of paying umpires, bus drivers, etc., warrants that the game be played. The procedure to play the game would involve the umpires writing an incident report after the game. Playing without an approved baseball also opens all kinds of liability issues should someone be injured. Associate Director Bob Madison doesn’t want it advertised that the game can be played.
This baseball requirement was passed three years ago and was to have taken effect last season. It was delayed a year so that schools could exhaust their supply of the old balls. All baseballs that were sold in Minnesota last year have both markings. Therefore if a school presents you baseballs without both markings, you can be assured that these balls are at least two years old. Press them hard to get approved baseballs before you relent, subject yourself to writing the incident report and possible liability issues!
Ken Sargent, NW Umpires High School Coordinator