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Originally Posted by Rich Fronheiser
Correct is in the eye of the beholder, Garth. I'm more interested in how the umpires handle situations like this rather than whether the base umpire says "FOUL" or "TIME." The right way to handle this is for the base umpire to hesitate and give the plate umpire a chance to make this call himself.
Of course, I see a LOT of umpires come up with a call as soon as the ball hits the batter. Who cares if the call is FOUL or TIME when there shouldn't be one in the first place?
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It's a package, Rich. If one can perform part of it correctly, they can perform all of it correctly.
This difference, I believe, is partly due to the different ways Washington and Wisconsin handle officiating. Here, I am part of an association responsible for both myself and those I train. We work with different partners at all levels, including college. Uniformity and predicability are important when working in this manner. The best way to attain that, I believe, is consistent training and performance of uniform mechanics.
It's my understanding that in Wisconsin you do not belong to an association and can work with the same crew, or at least a minimum number of different partners, for an entire season. You contact schools directly and market yourself rather than an association. You are far more independent and enjoy the benefits of that. I believe there are negatives as well.