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Originally Posted by Always Wright
First, unless you work softball, you probably have never made a steal call or pickoff call at 2B from the outside. Therefore, it is difficult to make a comparison. While my experience is very limited, as I said in a previous post, I have worked a couple of games where I had pickoff plays at 2B from the outside and I had a very good look at the play. Perhaps if there is someone who works fastpitch softball who reads this, you can tell us what kind of look you get from the outside.
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im a young guy compared to most on this site, but when i worked LL on the small diamond not too long ago, we called these plays from the outside. my opinion is that its a pretty bad look. i wanted to work from the inside back then, but then you cant see runners leaving early and such. i got screened from the runner most of the time on steals from what i remember.
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Originally Posted by Always Wright
Finally, and this is the point that no one has addressed yet and I would really like someone respond to, is plays at other bases. Let's picture for example, a play at home with the throw coming from straightaway CF. This is the exact mirror image of a steal at 2B. Those of you who think taking the steal play at 2B from the inside gives you the absolute best look at that play - do you follow that same positioning at the plate? Do you come into fair territory, shaded slightly up the 3B line, face the throw and have it turn you into the play at the plate? I think probably not (unless you are Bruce Froemming). You probably stay in foul territory on either the 1B or 3B line extended. That is precisely the look you would get at 2B from the outfield side. And that's the main point I wished to make. Please respond to that.
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one thing i can think of is this: think of how many times a throw is coming into the plate and the catcher decides to take a few hard steps up and cut the ball then throw it to 2. or think of how many times a throw is off-line when coming into the plate. those two plays happen much, much more (in my games) than the same situations happening at second base, with a middle infielder cutting the ball or the throw to 2nd being way off. of course those plays do happen on occasion
steals at second, in most of the games i have done, are much more accurate than plays at home, where the ball is coming from much farther away. i wouldnt feel safe being in fair territory on a call at the plate with the wider range that the catcher has to move. i think an umpire in fair territory would have a much greater chance of getting in the way than an umpire in B or C.