[Always Wright]

Have you ever, or would you ever, warn the pitcher about throwing at a batter if the plate umpire did not. I have been thinking about a situation in the last game I worked last year. It was a tournament game (15-16 year olds) and we were working 4-man, I was at 3B. I was senior man on the crew with one of our top guys behind the plate.

Here's the situation. Top of 6th inning, home team, clearly superior, winning about 8-1. Losing team has man on 2nd with 2 outs when defense pulls off the old trick play. Pitcher turns, fakes a throw to 2nd, defense reacts as though ball is in CF. Runner goes to 3rd where he is easily tagged out. Manager of offensive team is furious, at least partly out of embarassment. He was coaching 3rd and he got fooled on the play, yelling for his runner to come to 3rd. But also, in my opinion, angry at the other team for pulling that play in such a one-sided game. He thought it was bush and I agree.

Sure enough, bottom of the 6th, a batter from the winning team gets plunked. Nobody seemed to have a problem with that, and I really didn't either - old school baseball. However, since the home team's pitcher threw very hard and most of the batters seemed overmatched, I thought my PU would warn both teams - in effect protecting the losing team. I waited but he did nothing. I knew a warning should have been issued but I felt funny coming in from 3B to issue one - I thought I might be showing up my partner. The home pitcher did throw at a batter in the 7th - fortunately he missed the batter and there were no more fireworks. I thought we were very lucky that nothing further came from this situation. Good umpiring could have and should have prevented the situation and we did not umpire those situations well. We were very lucky that we did not have a brawl. When I talked to my partner after the game, he just brain locked. He totally forgot about the trick play and did not realize how upset the losing team was.
I know I should have gone in to talk to him between innings, perhaps after the trick play, but definitely before the top of the 7th.

I have decided to make this a topic of discussion in my pre-games next year. I'm not sure how I would feel as a PU if my partner on the bases came in to issue a warning in a game I was working. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter. What would you do as the base umpire? How would you feel if you were the plate umpire and your partner issued a warning?

Chris Wright
Brooklyn, NY