Warren, my position on this issue has not fluctuated over the years we've argued it.
Your initial position (of which you were quite adamant) was that seeking help after a coach's request was "illegal." You then seemed to have changed that tune with your earlier post in this thread to merely stating you now feel it is "unacceptable." Yet in your last post you seemed to have slipped even further in vaguely contradicting yourself by saying........
Quote:
Originally posted by Warren Willson
Now I am NOT saying there aren't calls that MUST be made, even though you don't have ALL the information necessary. What I AM saying is that seldom happens on a pulled foot at 1st base, which is the case that Bfair originally advocated and to which I originally objected.
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First, Warren, you finally seem to
acknowledge that those situations can exist---although "seldom." That, indeed, is what this issue has been about all through the years, Warren.
And while more veteran officials are able to avoid and minimize those situations such that they "seldom" occur, newer officials are still going through their learning process and may falter more often when under the gun. Thus, they face the problem more often than veteran officials.
Second, I feel you misrepresent the position I support by implying that I advocate to first make the call and then to seek help if necessary. I don't
advocate that method, but I certainly don't condemn it---as you have in the past. We are in agreement here, Warren, that the situation under discussion "seldom" happens, but we both
NOW seem to acknowledge that it can and does occur.
I think we all agree that when help is needed and the BU is confident that his partner:
- Has that needed information, AND
- Is ready to react with the needed information
THEN, the BU should go to his partner before ever making the initial call.
Still, when working a 2 man sytem and starting in C position with R2 only---which is the most typical situation where the need arises---the BU is not always confident that his PU is ready to react or even has that needed information. Thus, he ends up making the decision without first checking his PU.
There are times,
especially when working with unfamiliar partners, when the BU is concerned about the PU busting his a$$ down to 3B to cover a possible play on R2 advancing after the throw to 1B. The BU doesn't know if PU has abandoned watching that foot at 1B despite PU's undeniably better angle to see a problem caused by a stretching F3. The risk exists that BU's immediate request for help will result with the PU looking like a deer caught in the headlights---offering no help and letting all present then know that doubt exists regarding the issue in the minds of
both umpires. Thus, the BU bypasses the "preferred" method of checking
before making that call---despite the doubt he might have regarding a pulled foot by F3.
While I don't advocate that method of seeking help after the initial call, I acknowledge that it can occur. Furthermore, I acknowledge that fact with the admission that a good pregame by the umpires can avoid that lack of confidence---but also admit that good pregames by umpires don't always occur for various reasons.
Hopefully in reading the MLB Umpire Manual we can agree, Warren, that it tells us:
- That it's more important to get the call right than to protect a misconceived "dignity" of not seeking help. There is no dignity in maintaining an obviously blown call.
- Help can be sought when in doubt about your call and when you feel your partner may have that needed crucial element of information that answers the cause of that doubt
- It's ok to seek that help in some situations following an initial call, BUT
- That help should not be sought after "a lengthy argument"
So that apparently narrows this to our final point of conflict, Warren, which is that you feel a coach's mere appeal qualifies as "a lengthy argument" while I do not.
Not only that, but I don't feel that a "conference" in which a coach properly voices that appeal would qualify as "a lengthy argument."
I'll agree to disagree with that remaining point of conflict......
Freix