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"OBR 9.04(b)"
"A field umpire may take any position on the playing field best suited to make impending decisions on the bases.
Duties shall be to:
1. Make all decisions on the bases except those specifically reserved to the umpire-in-chief;
2.Take concurrent jurisdiction with the umpire-in-chief in calling "Time", balks, illegal pitches, or defacement or discoloration of the ball by any player;
Interference is NOT a call specifically reserved to the umpire-in-chief, by your own admission, therefore that call normally belongs to the base umpire "on the bases", except at home base which is normally reserved to the plate umpire."
Warren, I could agree with you if you did'nt conveintlly add words into the statement to make your case favorble to your opinion. Also, if it had stated, Make all decisions on the bases. But, it DOES NOT state ""on the bases", except at home base which is normally reserved to the plate umpire."
The fact that mechanics are taught for the the official to be in the "C" position for this type of play, when the rules allow "A field umpire may take any position", causes one to believe that there is descrepancy between the rules and the practice of officiating by the rules.
I believe that this is the point here. The official is NOT always in the "position on the playing field best suited to make impending decisions on the bases."
Therefore as officials, it either becomes necessary that we review and adjust our mechanics to cover ALL situations, at ALL times or we do the next best thing and realize the deficiencies of some of our mechanics, and adjust accordingly.
Certainlly, having the PU rule on this type of play when the BU can't possibly do his job thorughly because of the position, "Umpiring Mechanics" have put him in, is not unreasonable.
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