[Al]

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

LL Juniors FP game. R1 on 3B, R2 on 2B, R3 on 1B, no outs. I am PU. Batter hits a hard grounder to F5, who is playing right by the 3B bag. F5 reaches out to tag R1. Immediately after reaching out, she turns and steps on 3B. From my viewpoint, I do not see a tag applied. BU verbalizes and signals "out", though I am not sure who he is calling out. R1 starts toward her (3B) dugout, but doesn't go more than one step before 3B coach is telling her to run home because F5 missed the tag. There is no throw home, and R1 reaches home safely.

When the dust settles, DC comes out to argue. I tell him that I did not see a tag applied on R1. I go to BU for help and he confirms that he definitely saw that F5 missed the tag (not that it means much ex post facto). I return to the plate and notice that the bases are still juiced. I call BU over to me again and ask him why there is a runner at third. He tells me that he did not see F5 make a throw to 3B to retire the original R2. I remind him that he made an out call, and he admits that he did but that it was a bad call. This made for the third time tonight that he had made a call only to switch the call immediately. I'm not talking "out, oh wait the ball is on the ground, she's safe" but rather "out, no safe". DC apparently either falls asleep or just doesn't realize what's going on, but he never says a word about the original R2 standing on 3B.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but since I had R1 as still being safe, the play at 3B was the BU's call. If I had seen a tag on R1, then the call at third would be mine at that point. I probably should have just stepped in and told the BU that I saw F5 tag 3B to retire R2, but unfortunately I didn't. Was that call at 3B mine? Give me a good swift kick if I deserve it, because I've been scratching my head for a few hours already.

With bases loaded the PU should go to his holding position part way up the 3rd base line once he sees the play is not coming to the plate but going to another base or an attempted double play. In that position the PU can watch any play that develops. In this case the defense should have had the force out at third called if indeed the fielder stepped on the base. Sounds like you had a partner that was watching the game on the field next to yours. Without the DC saying anything about the player on 3rd I guess it's best to play on. The coach probably just gave up on it sinse the BU made so many bad calls already. On the other hand, since it wasn't a judgment call but a mental foul-up in that the 3rd baseman fielded the ball and stepped on the bag for the out (no throw to 3rd.) then you probably should have told him to made the correction on that obvious out that everyone in the park saw. As far as the PU making the call at 3rd if R1 was tagged out between 3rd and home...Yes, as the BU better positions himself for a possible force out at another base.