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Very interesting conversation that causes me to reflect deeply about unexpected calls and umpire ratings.
This afternoon, Varsity game, visitors up 4-0 top of 7th, one on, one out. Ground ball to short; throw pulls F3 off base into path of B-R. They collide. B-R finally disengages and manages to touch 1B.
I am PU looking right down the line and see that F3 has ball in glove held close to her belly. She never tagged the B-R! Partner is looking at me for help; I give a small safe signal in front of my body; he goes with it. All hell breaks loose. After conferences Home Coach knows that I made the call and he is ticked. "Its obvious that they collided; therefore the B-R was obviously tagged."
So instead of 2 outs, they now have 1 out and two runners on. Before the rally is over, the runner that should have been out and one after what should have been the 3rd out have scored. The home team is facing a 7-0 deficit in the bottom of the 7th; too much to overcome against a very good pitcher.
The expected call was OUT; everyone assumed the out; even the visiting coach would not have complained. I called a good game; even though he lost, I would have expected a good rating from the home coach. But not now!
Next year, when I am a tenth of a point in overall ratings below the last umpire to fill a slot in the State Tournaments, do I think back to this call? Or a similiar one last week that led to a victory for one side, and a coach ejection on the other. Do you think that I received a good rating in that game?
Is it worth it? The calls were technically correct, but they went against the expected call. The expected call could have been sold with little controversy; the unexpected generated controversy.
Can you train yourself to make the expected call? Or does you mind lock in on what you actually see and you make the call before you can think through all the possiblities?
WMB
[Edited by WestMichBlue on May 13th, 2004 at 02:47 AM]
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