Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich
And when they're needed, they're given. On a clear foul ball back to the screen or a ball clearly out of play, nobody needs an umpire and the signal is superfluous. The base umpire might say, "it's foul" to an advancing runner, but even that's not a requirement.
|
I don't disagree, but the standard is that the umpire calls the game, not just portions of it. Personally, the "foul" call has always been one of reaction and I'd rather have an umpire make a superfluous call than waste time on getting the field reset because someone didn't think it was that obvious.
Quote:
|
On a ball that barely misses a runner, a safe signal clearly tells everyone that "I saw the ball and it didn't hit the runner." It's a signal that communicates something useful.
|
So if there is no signal, the umpire is inferring "I wasn't watching"? If the umpire saw it, s/he would have called it. Talk about superfluous.
Quote:
|
Like I said, different strokes. Doesn't make your way better or my way better, but those guys that work both sports had better know the ways of each unless they want to get marked down. Sitting next to an evaluator, for example, I saw the pen come out when a plate guy said "dead ball" on a HBP in a baseball game last week. Absolutely wrong in baseball, but proper in softball.
|
Why is that wrong? Baseball rules (MLB 5.09) clearly state that "the ball becomes dead" when the batter is HBP.
Quote:
|
Unlike softball, though, I can work essentially the same mechanics in every one of my baseball games. Apparently there's a heackuva schism in softball between the different bodies.
|
The base was developed by the ASA. NFHS & ISF have the same mechanics as ASA. NCAA has different mechanics, but that is a closed shop and even then that have been some issues among crews, just as there is elsewhere.
In ASA, NFHS & ISF, if the umpires are using the book mechanics, I can walk onto the field with any of those umpires without a pregame and not have a problem. It is the interjection of personal preferences that will cause a crew issues. Don't get me wrong, I've had my issues and arguments with the ASA staff about some of their mechanics, but when working their games, I will do my best to use their mechanics.
When I worked baseball, many of the mechanics were the same except BU starting inside. Then again, if you didn't go to a professional school, your training was mostly local.