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As advocate for Mr. West, . . .
Okay, here goes.
On this play, fly ball to outfield with 1 out and R2 and R3, U2 goes out to cover the catch. U1 Joe West leaves his A position to cover the tag-up at second, and continues to observe R2 as he overslides third. U3 was blocked by R2 in seeing the overslide tag, but signals safe. Might Joe West, however, had a perfect angle from about 75 feet away. OC Dusty Baker asks U3 to go for help and U3 agrees to do so and initiates a conference. Joe West joins his crew near third. U3 admits he had a bad view of the overslide tag, U2 and PU say they did not see it well either, but Joe West says he saw it clearly and that R2 was clearly off the bag when tagged a second time by F5. U3 agrees, decides to change his call, and says so to his fellow crewmembers. Crew chief Joe West then signals the out, heroically taking the heat for U3. R2 discards his helmet in disgust at being properly called out and Joe West properly ej's him.
What a perfectly exemplary umpire! I rest my case.
I would have preferred U3 to signal the out, but presumedly it happened as per above, because no one has shown, and no participant has complained, that Joe West either called the conference or made the out decision.
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