Quote:
Originally posted by GarthB
I'll probably regret this, but:
Why not put this to some pro umps and find out? T.Alan always has contacts with some ML folks. I have some access to some minor league umps. Let's throw it at those guys, high and outside, and see if anyone swings.
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Garth;
Here are your first two data points.
First, I need to specify, if I haven't already, that it was clearly obvious to everyone that the batter was not trying to hit the ball. He made a full cut as if the ball was right down the middle of the plate, belt high. He made no attempt to reach outside for the pitch that was about two feet off of the plate and high.
First data point:
I talked to an ex minor league umpire. (single A, three years) He opined that this would never happen in the minor leagues because it would result in a bean ball, but it it did happen, he would rule the same way that I did.
Second data point: (and the most important one for me.)
The President of the league was sitting in the stands and he called the assignor the next day about this play. (The assignor for this league is also the assignor for the CAA D1 conference.) The President was most perplexed. Like most of you, he could not understand how this was not a strike. My assignor told him that I nailed the play exactly right. He too, saw the potentiality of a bean ball and was glad that it had been averted. Over the weekend, he called me up to find out what reasoning I had used to justify this action.
I told him that I ruled that the batter did not go and that I asked the catcher if he wanted me to appeal to my partner. (Of course, the catcher declined.) That reasoning was good enough for him.
Fortunately, we umpires only have to please the guys we work for and not our fellow umpires on the internet. I'd rather have the boss happy and all of the internet against me than the other way around.
Peter