[greymule]

In your first case, I would definitely confer with my partner with an eye to reversing the ruling. His mistake is purely rule.

The case of the LBR is more difficult, since he might have had the correct rule in mind and simply made a lousy call. I'd still confer with him before play resumed, though, just to be sure.

A couple of years ago, a partner I had never worked with before made a horrendous call in the first inning of a game played under ASA rules. R1 on 1B stealing on the pitch. F6 covered 2B but was drawn toward the runner by a very wide throw. So F6 is in R1's way, 8 feet from 2B, without the ball. R1, seeing F6 coming at her, slows almost to a stop and flinches as F6 reaches unsuccessfully for the ball, which goes off her glove and into right center field. F6, unable to stop her momentum, then crashes into a stationary R1.

BU's call? R1 out on a crash.

I started out from behind the plate to approach the BU, but before I had taken two steps, he had tossed the offensive coach. On my fourth step, he tossed an assistant coach.

What a mess. I guess I should have told my partner that he blew the call and should put R1 on 2B, or even 3B depending on how far the ball got away. With two coaches ejected, however, I didn't want to undermine the BU even if he was 100% in the wrong.

Later in the same game, I called IFR, and the runner on 2B ran back to the bag. But F4 was having a little trouble with the high pop, and the runner proceeded a few steps toward 3B. F4 did catch the ball, and seeing the runner off 2B, threw to F6 covering. The runner made it back just in time, which was lucky for me, since the BU gave a strangely delayed and casual "safe" sign. This was because, he explained to everyone, the runner had tagged up, since runners can leave as soon as the IFR is called. (In other words, the moment IFR is called, the ball is considered caught!)

I was going to talk to the guy after the game, but he disappeared immediately. The offensive coach was looking for him, too.