[PeteBooth]

Originally posted by brandda

Kyle - OK, but if I understand the rule correctly, the manager can't ask you. He has to ask the FU who can then ask you. Correct?

This is what I am trying to understand. What kind of latitude do I have to act on what I see? Who can ask and when?

David since you asked, here's Carl Childress's FAB V on calls that may be changed.

FAB 5 (When calls may be legally changed)

1. Half swing called a ball changed to strike. (OBR 9.02c CMTs 1, 2, 3)

2. Two umpires make opposite calls on the same play. (common sense: only one can be accepted)

3. An umpire misapplies a rule. (9.02b/c)

4. Home run changed to double, vice versa; fair to foul, vice versa on balls hit out of the park. (professional practice)

5. "Out" called on a tag play, but the ball falls free, and another umpire observes it. (JEA 9:15-16)

The Terrible Three (Three times a call CANNOT be legally changed after it's made)

1. Swipe tag
2. Force play (or play on BR at first)
3. Fielder on/off the bag

ANY call can be corrected:

Carl: "He's out!" Then, immediately: "No, no, no. Safe! The runner is safe!!" That's bad timing -- but it's legal.

I would recommend using the aformentioned as your guide as to when calls can be changed.

Another way to look at this is the following. All of us at one time or another have called a bad strike. It happens we are all human. To me even though a batter gets 3 of these, one bad strike call is equivalent to a BU making a bad call on the bases.

If the pitch was in the dirt but you called it a strike would you want the BU to Chime right in and say No that was a ball? I don't think so. We all want to get the call right but the fact is we will NOT get every call right.

There are certian calls that belong to the BU and to the PU. As much as we might not like it we cannot overturn our partner unless they ask for help. IMO that's how it should be as any other way, the game could get in the state of chaos.

Since TEE mentioned Jon Bible. I read one of his articles and in it he mentioned that he made a call, but then heard all sorts of moans and groans and in his opinion that sometimes means "hey I better get some help"

Most good umpires will ask for help, they don't have to but most do on the calls in which they can.

Now if it's a continuous type action play, then to put it mildly You are on your own it's virtually impossible to try and go back and correct a call when there's a ton of action on the bases.

Pete Booth