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Heres what happenned in my game today, 12yo,travel ball. High level talent.
R1 and R2, one out. Soft liner hit towards F6. The kind hit off the end of the bat that really doesnt pick up much speed or height. R2, breaks for 3rd. F6, who was playing "normal" spot,deep, not in runners path, takes ONE step in to field ball, now, puting him in the line. Yeah, you know whats coming. Just as ball bounces in front of F6, R2 makes contact with F6. Minor contact. This contact, IMO, didnt let F6 have a clean shot at ball. R2 then stopped, went around F6 to 3rd. F6 had no play on anyone. I was PU. My BU, didnt pivot around quick enough (thats what he told me later) and didnt get a clear shot of play. Ergo, didnt call anything. Defensive coach has cow, and screams for interference. Asks BU to appeal to me. BU calls me over. I tell him what I saw, I saw interference. My BU then calls out R2 for interference. Offensive coach now is ready to give birth, hes so excited. Saying that my partner ONLY appealed to me AFTER Defensive coach told him to ask for help. And that we were "letting the other manager umpire game for us". Told him, no, thats not the case. My BU, didnt have the call, and went to me, which I had. It was pretty clear cut. Offensive coach saying its not my call. Tried to explain to him its similar (I think) to a check swing. Its my call (PU). I have the closest view. And it stays my call til the catcher asks me to check with my BU, or I do so on my own. Then, as in the play that happenned, Im going to my partner to see what he has, as in the interference play. Then my BU can say he did, or didnt go. And that would be the call that stands, same as other example.
After the game in solicting opinions from my fellow blues, one told my BU, that to "stick to the call". "You didnt have anything, so stay with that". Supposedly we would be avoiding any brouhahas. Well, calling it or not calling it, either way, the play had enough trouble written on it that someone wasnt going to be happy with the call.
So, IMO, I want to get the play right. Now I KNOW were not always going to handle all plays like this in this way, but I felt, since my BU made NO call, I wasnt CHANGING a call.
1)Should my BU not have appealed to me, and stuck with his call?
2) If he does go to me, do I "back him up" and say we have nothing? That would not sit with me as , this was clear cut. Marginal, maybe.
3) Should I have called interference right away when I saw it? Even though the BU has the call? We probably would have had an argument either way, but if I call it, might not be as heated and I can say its not just the BU who has the call, that either of us can make it?
Im going with #3. Opinions please.....
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