[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

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.

That's not bad mechanics, that's poor umpiring. BTW, what is diagonal to a runner mean?

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--

You are correct that speed is not a factor. However, hustle is and we all know that hustle and speed are not the same thing. I can't out run anyone, but I will always get to where I need to be to make the call. An umpire in the C has more issues than how fast the BR may be. To start, the movement of the closest infielder partially dictates the BU's path toward a play. And, as we all know, just because we know how the play should develop, that doesn't mean the players always move properly.[/quote]

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.[/quote]

Okay, you have a 90, so what? Any smart runner is coming from the foul side and you will not have any more an idea of whether her hand is on the bag than the umpire in the regular C and you are going to be farther away. BTW, it is my belief that, as stated in a previous post, the closer you are to 2B, the more of an angle you lose at 1B on a throw from anywhere other than the 3B line.

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?

On a ground ball to the infield, who has the call if the throw goes to 3B? I believe that would be the BU. On any pick-off play? BU. On any rundown situation? BU.

I don't believe your set up is any more advantageous than the prescribed mechanic.

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.

I think you are taking some serious liberties with your distances or assuming that umpires don't move quick enough. I've seen Steve M work and he's seen a couple of the umpires from may area and they are all good. And they are never as far as you are insinuating from any call for which they are responsible.

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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.

What is the obsession with umpires and degrees? I don't care if you are at 90, 45 or whatever, if it isn't the proper position to see the call, it is irrelevant. We all know that most plays do not happen at the angle perfect for the umpire to see, so we move as much as possible when necessary whether it is the entire body or just the head.

Thinking outside of the box isn't necessary to understand that ASA mechanics are quidelines and there shouldn't be an issues with slight modifications as needed. I think it is obvious that umpires must adjust to every situation on every play of every game. I don't believe the ASA staff thinks that you can lay a template over the field and every umpire must fall into the proper place.

Every umpire also knows that there is no perfect set of mechanics that will cover all the possible plays all the time, not even in a four-umpire game. So we have to use the best possible option and adjust from there.

You are also correct that the standard mechanic may not always be the best for 90-99% of the plays we see. However, it's when the 1-10% of the plays occur and the umpire isn't in the proper position that is the most noticable and important.

While we are on mechanics, at a regional UIC meeting, the subject of ASA mechanics was raised by a UIC who just worked the Hooters in OKC. The issue was standard mechanics and how mechanics from other organizations are sneaking into the ASA game. Apparently, the NUS has taken notice to the point it may be addressed. When the subject was raised, another member of this board was in the room and we immediately looked toward each other. He thought this is why I addressed this issue earlier, but in actuality, my post was completely independent of what this umpire brought to the meeting.

So, it will be quite interesting to see if, and how, this subject may be approached at the Biennial UIC Clinic.