[Warren Willson]

Originally posted by PeteBooth
Also, I find it real interesting that Baseball Umpires do not like to give options as they do in football. I just do not get it. We are not "tipping" the balance of power all we are doing is asking a coach what he wants to do.

I believe this thread is about "style" and not about misconception. Some do not have a problem with giving a coach an option while others have difficulty with this.
No-one is right or wrong here it's what works for you and how you are rated in a paticular area in which you work.

Pete,

I agree with most of what you said here about "style" except that I would say that it is really "style" as applied to the level of play that dictates the difference.

You say you "just don't get it" when it comes to umpires not wanting to offer options. Perhaps in all of the verbage of this thread you missed the basic point about "tipping the balance". The rule concerned says that "the manager may elect to take the play". It does NOT say "the umpire shall offer the manager an option to take the play". Do you see the subtle difference here, Pete? For professional leagues at least, the wording of the rule makes it the manager's responsibility to know what his options are AND exercise them OR NOT as he chooses. If the umpire advises such a manager of his "options" unsolicited, then he has effectively relieved that manager of this responsibility.

There is absolutely no doubt that when it comes to OBR there are a number of rules that expect, even require, vigilance on the part of the aggrieved party in order to draw any benefit; Batting out of Turn [OBR 6.07], Ball Tampering [OBR 8.02(a)Penalty] AND Catcher's Interference [OBR 6.08(c)] are the three most familiar rules in this category, but there are a number of others including some you would use every game!

Now in general amateur play, where it is clear that NEITHER manager knows that such options exist, let alone what they are, I agree that advising BOTH managers when the need arises still maintains the game balance. What a number of us have said is that in higher level play, where the manager or coach could reasonably be expected to already KNOW these options, offering the option to a particular manager or coach unsolicited could conceivably "tip the balance" in a tight game.

Maybe this manager or coach had forgotten he had an option on the play. Maybe he wasn't paying attention to the game action. Either way, the umpire who gives this manager or coach his options unsolicited has just alerted him to the situation AND effectively prevented the defense from profiting from his poor memory or inattention to the game. At these upper levels, that can be the difference between winning and losing a close game. That was the point. I hope I haven't belaboured it too much.

Cheers,

Warren Willson