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Everything in this post happened as described.
Over the years I have always intoned that not only does no umpire have the legal right to overrule a partner's call I have also questioned "what makes what YOU saw more correct than what your partner saw (called)?"
So Friday I had the following:
My plate umpire is working his final plate game of his 55 year career. Even though he is 70 years old he is in great condition and always gets ANYWHERE he is supposed to be . . . example, in the third inning I had a trouble ball and went out, when I turned to follow the flight of the ball back into the infield the PU was perched perfectly in the cut out at second waiting for the play.
So in two innings he made the following calls:
Team at bat down by 4 runs with the bases loaded and two out.
Count is 1 and 2 on the 4th place hitter.
F1 throws a curve that "looks" like it catches the heart of the plate and is a belt high from my vantage point in "C".
"Ball" is the call, F2's shoulders drops and F1 returns to the mound as he has walked about 5 steps towards the third base dugout.
I figger, "hmmm, I must have had a bad angle!"
Next pitch, same pitch, same location and same call.
"Ball".
This time there is an explosion in the visiting team dugout including a few "Jesus Christs, call the dam zone" and a few more strongly invective comments.
F1 toes the rubber, throws a straight fast ball which is pounded into oblivion about 425 feet away for a Grand Salamie . . . Game tied.
More screaming from the visitor bench.
Next batter steps in and doubles. I move into "C".
Next batter comes to the plate:
Slow curve ball is hanging inside (to a RH Hitter) and the batter turns his left should down and towards the plate. I hear what appears to be the ball nicking that lead shoulder (remember this position it becomes important).
PU yells "Time" -- that is a strike -- IT HIT THE BAT." Remember the position he was in --
Batter then doubles on the next pitch.
I admit I am now scratching my head as I move to "C".
NEXT BATTER -- lefthanded hitter and I watch as a ball sails in over his head. As he ducks he leaves the bat up and the ball appears to me to brush the bat.
As the PU's hands fly up I also throw my hands up before I can react he says "TAKE YOUR BASE" --
As the visiting coach comes flying out of the dugout the PU puts up the "STOP" sign and the coach retreats.
PU says, "it hit him on the top of the helmet!"
Now let's fast forward to the very next inning with the visitors at bat.
R2 and R3 . . . one out.
2 Ball and 2 Strike Count.
Curve ball in the dirt.
Batter appears to have a checked/unchecked swing issue (not really more to follow) and as the catcher blocks the ball and it rolls up the first base line the batter fails to run (actually he was looking for a sign from the coach at third base coaching box when the PU says",
"Yes, he went!"
Runner gets about two steps out of the box when F2 throws to first.
Then the visitor coach yells, "You gotta get help on that call!"
PU THEN GOES TO ME (yes, after calling it a strike) and the coach yells,
"Not NOW you idiot . . . you already called it a strike!"
So you might ask a few of questions:
On the two pitches he called "balls" what made my view from "C" better than his? -- can't answer that. I just know what I saw.
You might ask did I go in and offer help on the two calls of "Foul" and "HBP" -- well, I did get to a position and caught his eye. We don't have secret signals if I have more information and he didn't ask . . . so no, I didn't actually offer help.
You might also ask did I tell any bench peronel or coaches to quiet down when they went after my partner? . . . answer again is no. I have always been taught to let the umpire involved handle his own battles . . . the only time I get involved with pre-ejection activity is if a pitcher or infielder is going over-board in a criticism of my PU when I am in "B" or "C".
So there you have it . . .
I think I totally screwed up in letting my partner CONTINUE to make calls that appaeared to be incorrect . . . yet if I would have involved myself I would be posting that I stuck my nose where it didn't belong.
OK. I'm done feeling sorry for myself.
[Edited by Tim C on Apr 26th, 2005 at 03:02 PM]
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