[teebob21]

Since I do not yet have any assignments for HS playoffs here, and Juco is all wrapped up, I'm assuming the meat and potatoes of this year is over for me. Not a bad spring: I worked 70 games or so. Here are three situations that came up that I am interested in hearing fellow umpire's opinions about. What would you have done?

Situation 1 (Rules): BR interferes with F3 (NFHS)

(I was base umpire) Bases loaded, IFF situation. BR hits a pop-up to F3 near the bag over the baseline. I have my signal up, no verbal, and I did not hear a call from PU. BR interferes with F3's attempt to catch the ball, and is declared out by PU. Defense wants R1 on 3B out as well for interference by a retired player.

I got together with my partner on his request (not sure why, it was 115% his call and I was in no position to help judge the batted ball) and no, he had not yet declared IFF and "I dunno" if the ball was fair or foul at the time of INT. We stayed with the original call of BR out, runners return.

I know we can rectify an uncalled IFF, but we can't apply the retired-runner INT penalty to a player we haven't declared out yet, can we??

Situation 2 (Field Mechanics): Runners on corners; stealing 2B (NFHS/NCAA)

Runners on 1B and 3B, I am base umpire. R2 on 1B steals, and F2 throws to 2B. F6 takes the throw, attempts a tag....and all I can see is F6's backside. I had stepped in from C position in a line between 2B and 3B to see a 90-degree angle of R2 coming into the base. I got blocked out like this at least twice this season. This isn't a problem when F4 takes the throw. Should I be moving somewhere else when I read a throw? Should I pay more attention to which fielder is covering?

Situation 3 (Game Management): Who do you eject? (NCAA)

Close ball game, I'm on the plate, 4th or 5th inning. Visiting team (on defense) crosses the line by saying a magic word regarding a ball/strike call (Assistant coach: "This guy is horrible!" among the rest of the comments). I warned the dugout that the zone was not up for discussion, and I'd heard all I was going to hear. Assistant coach wants clarification and I walk down to the bench and tell the hitting coach, assistant, and junior assistant coach to knock it off. Next pitch: swinging strike on a rise ball. Someone on the near end of the visiting bench, while I am signalling, with my eyes on the pitcher: "Blue, you sure?"

I know someone needs to leave, but I don't know exactly who that is because I wasn't looking that way. Who do you think needs ejected?

Edit (forgot to include in OP): Unfortunately, I made a knee-jerk reaction: called time, and emphatically ejected.....someone. I knew I needed to decide quickly, so I walked the 25 feet to the end of the bench and told the AC whoever said "you sure" was done, and if no one said it, he was done. The junior assistant coach got nominated by the AC.