[SanDiegoSteve]

To not announce that the batter is out on an uncaught 3rd strike with 1B occupied and less than 2 outs is asking for trouble.

To even suggest that announcing the batter to be out is "coaching" is absurd, bordering on ludicrous.

It is nothing more than good preventative officiating to avoid all the calamities that Richard Siegel brought up. It's the prudent thing to do.

The argument that an umpire might accidentally mistake the situation when 2 are out and erroneously call out the batter is also a bunch of hooey. The umpires are the ones on the field who need to know the situation, and should not have any trouble telling which mechanic applies.

Expecting the coaches and players to know rules and situations is a pipe dream at best. These are the same people, remember, who think that the hands are part of the bat and that ties go to runners. Expecting them to think quickly enough when a 3rd strike hits the dirt to do the right thing is asking a lot of these mental giants.

So, whenever a 3rd strike uncaught/1B occupied/0 or 1 out situation occurred, I would say "batter's out." It merely points out a fact, no less a fact than an out call at any other base, and prevents a Ringling Brothers moment from happening.