[IRISHMAFIA]

I think there is more to address here.

#1. Did you go to the plate area and look toward the outfield? I have often been on fields that seemed well lit from one position and questionable from another. On this point, your partner should have asked how things looked from your position and if you noticed any players acting in an apprehensive manner when the ball was put into play.

#2. You may feel you only needed three outs on the visitors to finish the game, but what happens if you don't get those three outs? What happens if the visitors ding the ball all over the place in the top of the seventh? You must take the time it would take for the losing team to score enough runs to tie or take the lead and that could take up to, if not more than, 30 minutes. Now, after a half-hour, maybe this field is falling into darkness, but being the nice guy, you let the home team try to reclaim the lead or tie the game.

By this time, the players and coaches from the home team are reminding you every two minutes how dark it is becoming and someone may get hurt. The bad part is that by now, this could be true.

If you force the game to be played under less than acceptable conditions, someone may get hurt. If you call the game after the visitors tie or take the lead, you will be accused of stopping the game before the home team loses and then those livid players, coaches and parents will want to know why you even bothered to play the top half of the inning if you were not going to play the bottom.

Being a "nice guy" is not all it is cracked up to be. I have learned from experience that an umpire who knows the fields, the conditions which occur at twilight and how quick a field loses light must make a difficult call at times that may seem completely wrong, but is right on target.

I am not defending your partner's call as I was not there to witness the scenario, and as I said, he definitely should have at least given you a heads-up as to what he was going to do. However, take into consideration what it would have taken to play the last inning and what would have happened if the visiting team went on an offensive tear. Maybe your partner wasn't totally wrong with his call.

JMHO,