Quote:
Originally Posted by Manny A
The DDB signal has the entire left arm parallel to the ground. I can't even begin to imagine how that is supposed to confuse players and coaches with the standard out mechanic.
The DDB signal is still used in softball. I had a situation earlier this season where, as PU, I saw R2 get obstructed by F5 on a two-out fly ball down the leftfield line. I put out my left hand (while holding my mask) to make the DDB Obstruction call. R2 saw it, and thought I was signalling foul, so she held up and started to go back to second base. The ball was fair, her base coach yelled for her to go home, and she got confused. She ended up going back to third base safely. I didn't award her home, which she might've attained if she would have continued.
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If you
can't begin to imagine how a not perfect DDB mechanic might be confused with a not perfect out mechanic, then maybe you lack imagination. Here, I'll help you:
1) Pick any of the interference/obstruction threads from this site where a slight variation in the sitch reverses the call, then picture the umpire pointing (I've got something). One team thinks its interference (out) the other team thinks its obstruction and then the umpire
raising his left arm/fist...possible confusion.
2) Pick any of the interference/obstruction threads from this site where a slight variation in the sitch reverses the call, then picture the umpire pointing (I've got something). One team thinks its interference (out) the other team thinks its obstruction and then the umpire gets excited and raises the wrong arm
raising his right arm/fist...possible confusion...imagine that.
And then you give another example of how a DDB mechanic was confused with a foul mechanic. Even with your description, I
can't begin to imagine how that happened.
I'm glad to see the Fed DDB mechanic gone.