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My very good friend and mentor was behind the plate. With a runner on third base I was out in the "C" position. Right handed batter up, catcher asks for the appeal on a check swing. PU points to the first base coach and asks , "Did she go!" First base coach points to me, I point back to the PU, who now walks half way to first and shouts at the first base coach, " Did she GO!" First base coach very weakly makes a safe sign. Happy my friend tell the catcher, "Ball." Defensive coach goes nuts starts on to the field yelling at me, the first base coach, and finally at the PU. After the game we disused what when on. He told me that in my position I could not make a call on a check swing. He also told me the HE had a strike but wanted to make the point about there should be three umpires for games. My friend was a very good umpire and his mentoring was the main reason I made it though my first season so many years ago, sadly that was his last game as he passed two days latter from a stroke.
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