Quote:
Originally posted by WhatWuzThatBlue
I purposely stayed outside the fray just to see where it went. A few members, as always, insist that they know better than MLB umpires and are always in the correct position to make the call. 'Tis a shame that we don't get to see their highlight reels. There is simply no way to gain the perfect angle for every play - they would know that if they went to professional school. You do your best to obtain an angle that will allow for the maximum amount of outcomes. Denkinger is an extreme example while Joe West seems to regularly see things that other pros miss.
If you attended an NCAA clinic during the last TWO years, you would have known that the 'seek/offer help' mechanic is not only acceptable but required. It is apparent in professional baseball and NCAA, if you won't permit it in your games there is probably a reason why you aren't working the aformentioned levels. Amateur baseball benefits the most from umpires who have the intelligence to accept their humanity.
I've provided the example of one of my most humbling kicked calls a few times here. NCAA game...a foul ball goes back to the screen and the catcher is an ace. He stops near the screen and I set up a few feet from him, watching him, not the ball, as we are taught. He spins at the last moment and my head practically came off trying to find the ball. I asked him to show me the ball and when I saw it was cleanly in his mitt, I signalled the out. The only problem was that I never saw it glance off the screen while one of my partners did. We had a runner on and he took off for third. My partner immediately came in - he was the third base umpire and when I saw him abandon his position without worrying about the runner I knew I was wrong. He asked me what I saw - our mechanic - and I told him. I asked if he saw something different - again, our mechanic - and he told me what happened. The call was corrected, the batter remained and the runner returned. If I stuck to my guns, I had an out and a runner on third - both wrong. I took some catcalls and was pretty mad at myself. But, we got it right and this was a few years before the mechanic was expected at that level. When I first told this tale a few members said that they always watch the foul ball while it is in the air. Watch the pros or even a good NCAA crew; they move with the player and don't take their eyes off him. Even the best mechanics and training will not prevent an umpire from getting a bad angle.
Too many egos get in the way of this mechanic. You have another tool in your arsenal and should not be afraid to ask for or offer assistance. The game is about the players, right?
[Edited by WhatWuzThatBlue on Feb 27th, 2006 at 05:57 PM]
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Personally, I don't care. I do not aspire to be a D-I official. I am just a lil' ole' D-III and HS umpire. You can do whatever you want in your games.
I know what this wonderful "get it right" mentality has done to a lot of amateur umpires and coaches where I live. Umpires don't work hard and think a PU will bail them out, if necessary. Coaches expect umpires to get help every time they ask.
Big improvement in my life, courtesy of the guys that work 3-man and 4-man in every freaking game.