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Since a check swing appeal AFTER intervening action MUST be entertained (OBR 9.02c note), and since doing so will cause violent disapproval, the umpire should anticipate this situation. When an umpire calls "ball" but does not clearly see a non-swing on a pitch out of the zone and then some ensuing action occurs that would be different had the call been "strike", the umpire should TAKE IT UPON HIMSELF to ask for more information and CALL IT LOUD if it is a strike. Admittedly, that gives the crew a lot to do in a short time, but it prevents a bad image and argument.
The simplest example:
PLAY: Empty bases, two strikes, batter half-swings, the pitch goes to the backstop. The umpire calls "ball" but isn't 100% sure that he went around.
BAD RULING: Wait for the catcher to ask for an appeal. The runner now is an easy target if the call is corrected.
GOOD RULING: As soon as the umpire hears the ball get past, he should take it upon himself to "appeal" to the BU for a ruling, to give the BR the fairest chance to go to first.
I know that the onus is on the runners to beware of check-swing call changes, but that doesn't mean we can't ask for more information (9.02c).
Just what I've learned,
P-Sz
[Edited by Patrick Szalapski on Jan 16th, 2001 at 06:30 PM]
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