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The "Kicked Call" mechanic
From Sal Giaco...
Once the manager understands that you and your partners have your own responsibilites during each play, he is less likely to push you to get help. Kind of like, "Skip, that's not fair of me to ask my partner for help on that play because his focus is on the runner and not the fielder. We only have two guys out here and we're doing the best we can."
There is also a mechanic we use that if another partner has some "useful" information that may change the outcome of the play, he will take his hat off as a signal that he may have some thing to add. That way, if I am in a discussion with a manager regarding a particular play and I glance over and see my partner with his hat off, then I know he must have seen something that I missed.
I worked a game at Missouri a few years ago. Since we were working as a crew for the first time, we decided to meet for Breakfast and do a pre-pregame. One of the guys worked for Fetch and used the "Kicked Call" signal. He urged us to use it, as well. My other partner laughed and aksed him why he didn't just use the "stroke off" motion with his fist. I agreed and asked him how long it would be before an observant coach, assistant coach or player catches on to this shenanigan. The series went well and we met up about four weeks later. Sure enough, he said that he was workinga game at Bowling Green and the visiting coach was aware of the signal. They were called on it when one of them did it. He said they have never used it since. we had a laugh at his expense and were glad that we weren't out there that day.
It's funny, the big boys don't have a secret signal. They are taught to confer immediately and ask for help. Now, these guys have been at it - at a much higher and more stressful level - than anyone here. Yet, that is their mechanic. All of the brain power in their room and no one said, "Hey, if you look aroung and see one of us remove our hat/take of our sunglasses/pick our nose, you kicked it and we need to talk."
Living and dying with a bad call is kind of like keeping troops battling in a foreign country without an exit strategy. It makes no sense. When you can fix one of your errors, you are smarter for doing it. It's one thing to be a man of strong convictions. It is another to be wrong and convinced otherwise. I would think that you could look at how our MLB colleagues are behaving and realize that they have abandoned their egos for the greater good. Stick to your guns and you are telling your partners, I'm better than you. Not being to proud to get an assist doesn't make you weak, it makes coaches and players want you out there.
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