[WindyCityBlue]

Not sure what you are gloating about?
No one ever suggested here that I can remember that you should never get together to get plays right.


Actually, you did just that, Jeff.
My, how your memory has become selective. There are several examples of your writing telling us that you don’t see how someone can be watching your job, when he has responsibilities of his own. In fact, you wrote - on multiple occasions - that you would have a problem with a partner telling you that you missed a call and that the crew needs to fix it. Do we need to cut and paste again?

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This example was the perfect example of when a crew should talk or help each other out. If I am not mistaken the crew chief (who was at first base) asked for help on the play because he knew he was screened and wanted to make sure he got the call right. That is the exact same situation I have found myself in and have helped partners each and every year I have umpired baseball. It is even the very same attitude I take in all my officiating endeavors. I think the officials did a wonderful job, but they also followed a common procedure. The calling official made the call. The calling official asked for help (as he should of in a play like that). They also got together on the homerun which was another good call by the umpires. I really do not know who has ever suggested that there was something wrong about getting together one obviously wrong calls or situations where an umpire might be screened?



Hmmmm....see my response above. I think it says it all.

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But if the calling official was sure about their call and saw the entire play, it is not our job to change the call for them.



No, it actually is our job to do just that. Jerry Crawford ruled the ball fair in the AL Div. Series and was overruled by his partners. He was sure of his call, remember, he made the call and they approached him - not the other way around. In last nights game, Joyce (Home Run) and Marsh (Interference) both made their respective calls. Read that again...THEY MADE THEIR CALLS. Only after Francona came running onto the field did either of them look for help. They made calls that they thought were correct. (BTW, that was Marsh’s second kicked call of this series.) Their partners recognize the scrutiny that the entire crew is under and persuaded them to rectify the play. As a couple of members have said, this crew did it very well. The original calling official was convinced he kicked it and signalled the change. You’ve long felt that another official offering assistance is an afront to your abilities. These guys are the best of the bunch and they needed assistance on several occasions.

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But there is a difference in a ML baseball game where we have 6 Umpires and on every play there is someone that has your back as compared to a 2 Man system where no one has a clear look at their partner's calls in many situations. This is just about as absurd comparison as it would be for most HS officials to compare themselves and mechanics with NFL or NCAA with 7 Officials. There are just some calls you have to live with and no one can help you. And if another official in situations are watching you so closely, what the heck are they missing.


Wow, that must be good pot.
You’ve just restated the same, silly argument again. On the A-Rod play, who is watching for the interference call - the first base umpire, five feet away and looking right at it or the home plate umpire, ninety feet away? Watch the play again, closely. Marsh saw exactly what happened and made his call. Arroyo and Millar went nuts about the ball being knocked away. Francona came running out and Marsh motioned for him that he was going for help, because he knew he kicked it. Most of us have been there - we’ve made a call and as soon as our mouth starts to move a neuron fires and tells us that we blew it. He knew it and so did Francona, Torre and A-Rod. If that play had happened in Boston, A-Rod wouldn’t have been so vocal walking away. Better yet, if one of the Boston players had tried that with Clark, he would still be running.

I’m not sure why this concept is difficult for you. You jumped on the pile when I first proposed the concept and most everyone recognizes that while I may be arrogant, opinionated and controversial...I am right on this one. I will be glad to call up some of my better zingers and ridicule your thoughts again. Remember this one... “Baseball umpiring is evolving. If you don’t want to adapt, don’t be surprised when you get run over by a coach that sees everyone else asking for help, but not you! You are the amazing Rut and no partner of yours could possibly have seen what you saw.” - May 22, 2004 3:08 p.m.

This is not football or basketball. Focus with us here. Two, three, four or six man...it doesn’t matter. The more trained eyes, the better. Will every call warrant an appeal or correction? No...but, if your pride prevents you from accepting honest insight to the play from your partners, you should sell your gear.