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Okay, I know that umpires do not coach, and do not want to coach, and do not want to advise me how to coach. BUT:
It has happened twice this week: the batter hits the ball and it comes up and hits her while she's standing in the box. Umpire doesn't see it. The batter stands there, then when no foul is called decides to run. Catcher picks up the ball and easily throws her out at first. Now we've got an out when there should have been a foul ball.
The first time caught me totally by surprise, and it was a total blowout anyway (we were at least ten runs down) so I let it go (the opposite coach told me after the inning that it was the umpires first game, and I said, "It's okay, it ain't gonna make a difference anyway. They need the experience."
Sunday it could have made a difference. So I ask the umpire, "did you see the ball hit her after she batted it?" No. "Could you ask your partner if he saw it hit her?" Sure. He trots off to his partner, I trot off to my coach's box on third. After conferring with his partner: Out.
Now, I realise that the plate ump might not have seen it because of the way the batter stood during the hit. I also realise that BU might not have seen it (my first base coach also didn't see it). So I'm not arguing whether the umpires should have seen it: they can't see everything.
My question is how to coach my girls. Should they simply run to first as if it were fair (risking a very probable out at first) or should they:
1. Put on a little show acting like they've been hit by the ball and that it hurt and, "Ouch, it hit me, Oh... (This has been suggested to me as the best possibility).
2. Tell the umpire, "The ball hit me!" and hope to get a foul call.
Had it not happened twice this week I wouldn't think about it. But I have to coach them to do something, and #1 I don't like. I don't believe in "theater". That's why I'm asking you here: the ball was foul. What should the player do? Run to first or stand there and tell you it hit her?
I don't really expect you to choose #1. But perhaps you could give me a reasonable alternative to #2.
jeffstone
goettingen
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