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Originally Posted by Steve M
Wade,
You are very wrong in at least one item - I'll get to that in a bit.
When you have a runner at 3rd, regardless of any other runners, that is your most critical runner. That is the runner that is most likely to try & score. That's where you position yourself to call. In a 2-man crew, with R1 at 3B, I am positioned about 20 ft from the LF line and am no deeper than 1-2 stepa behind F6.
Where you are absolutely wrong is in your statement that "And there aint one blue clicking this thread who can do more than swivel and take a step in the <2.4 seconds it will take for the banger thats coming at 1." I get a lot more than 1 step in that time. I am 52 yrs old and have only ever - that's EVER - had a runner outrun me, and that was due to a bad leg acting up that day. I work high school age and older - up through men's majors. And I am not the only umpire who keeps themselves able to move quickly.
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Since we agree on a lot.. lets discuss Wade's Modified C - ie 6-7 away from 2b on the 3b side diagonal with R1 @ 3b, no one else on.
First off, speed is not the issue. I can out run 95% of the umpires I work with I'm quite sure.
Second, the call is made from C by those who stay in C. Thats where its made, I see it over and over. A good 75' from the play.
Why?
Its not speed, its factors.
Before the pitch your responsiblity is making sure R1 doesnt leave early and a little eye on the pitcher for the illegal pitch. Even if you are moving during the "wind up" it must be minimum to accurately see this.
After the pitch, your responsibility for R1 is over for now. They are in fact not your priority.
Your priority is then at the plate, and again you should not be moving. You must be watching for check swings or a dead ball situation like the ball hitting the batter etc.
If the ball is not hit, your responsibility is then R1 because there is simply nothing else that can happen so with a step or two you can have a good 90 on a play at 3b from my spot.. whereas in C you are once again behind the play unless you are at a run and still moving... every pitch.... nope you arent doing that. You are standing there in C taking a few steps IMO.
If the ball is hit and again after watching for something "deadballish", your responsibility in 90% of the cases will be BR. PU has the play at home if it happens, not you. If the play developes there, you will naturally watch it, but you are not advantaged in watching this by hanging out behind SS sooo.. in any case:
You cant have moved very far by this point. Now you have a few seconds, and a slapper has a jump on you, even if you had blinding 4.5 speed on a 40, you couldnt have moved but a few feet if you maintained your other responsibilities.
So you, even as fast as you could possibly be (which frankly is probably not much) would be back there close to that fat BU who didnt move at all.. making the call 75' away from behind F6--
this because of the misguided belief your responsibility is R1, even though in practice, this belief is hardly ever proven to be relevent.. and even if it suddenly becomes important, youre still sitting behind the play behind F6. Whereas, I have moved in with only a few steps, similar to a littleball umpire and have a great 90 on 3B .. but more importantly, 15'-18' closer on the banger at 1b if that happens, which it probably will.
The importance of R1 is covered at home plate as long as she doesnt leave early.
R1 is NOT BU's responsibility once she reaches 3B. She then reverts to PU in practice and reality IMO.
Other than saying something like "ASA says R1 is the primary resposbility" .. how in practice is this reality?
What could possibly go on with R1@3B where you as the BU are advantaged by being in ASA C?
The answer.. IMO.. not much.
In fact, if you maintain that a call from 75-80' at 1B is just as good as calling it from 60'.. then you would be hard pressed to make an argument as to why B wouldnt be just as good for BU with R1 @ 3b.
What does it matter where you are.. 75' is 75'? Its all the same.
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another peeve...
What about R1@3b and R2@1b.. pick off at 1b... its absurd for BU to call that.. but of course, thats what ASA advocates. Every umpire here knows they didnt get a good look at that.. admit it, you couldnt see it good. You know you didnt, coach knows you didnt, the players no you didnt.. but as you humbly signal safe.. we all know... and the PU knows when you blew it.. why? Because PU has the best view of that.
I think that too is indicitive of ABC being catering to the lowest common denominator of umpires as opposed to smart calling. They dont want to confuse a drooler umpire by mixing some runner responsiblity to PU.
Everyone but ASA knows that call is PU's in 2 man.... but nope.. like ya'll.. I am dutifully in straight C in this case as I should be because the view from Wades Modified B is terrible on a 1B pick off.. and making the call on a pick off 75' away without angle..
This situation is not something I can adjust myself because its not taught so a BU would look at you like youre crazy, so for that one...
Mike you need to fix this stuff man
Anyway, I think this requires some outside the box to realize that SOME of the problems encountered by a BU can be solved if you stop confining yourselves to the rigid guidelines for BU dictated by ASA and cheat a little depending on situation and some thought as to what your real responsibilities are in practice, as opposed to theory.