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"As someone who calls both sports, I never understand why umpires who only call one of the sports want to pretend the other doesn't exist"
It's not that we don't care about other sports; it's a matter of focus. This is a softball board, and we are softball umpires that discuss softball issues. Bringing in baseball situations or rules just muddies up the discussion.
Fact is, we have enough trouble just dealing with all our own rule variations (FP, SP, NFHS, ASA, U-trip, L.L., NCAA, PONY, AFA, NSA, Dixie, plus Rec League local rules.)
I used to call HS baseball, but I realized that I could not become a high quality umpire in both sports so I chose to focus only on softball. There are simply way too many rule differences, mechanic differences, and attitude differences to overcome. Even within the national organizations that write rules for both sports (NFHS, L.L.), there is limited coordination between their two rules committees.
This thread started with a call by a baseball umpire! My partner's first love is baseball; he has been a umpire for 30 years, he has worked HS state finals in baseball. He is a good umpire, but he doesn't know softball! Weve had some very angry arguments in the parking lot after games because of these issues.
Example: Baseball batter not in box, order pitch, call strike. SB do not allow pitch, call strike.
SB mechanic: BU takes B-R all the way to 3B. BB mechanic: U2 only takes B-R to 2B then holds to either take runner back to 2B, or to go home. U1 has B-R into 3B. That is why I ran into him the first time I took a B-R to 3B, and why he assumed that I would peel off and go home. (That should answer your question, SC Ump.)
BB mechanic: on a steal of 2B, U2 is on the infield and is in a good position to take the runner to 3B if the throw goes past 2B. In SB, the BU coming from the B position will be behind 2B and cannot take the runner to 3B. In a hundred games Ive done with a softball ump, I never have to think about 3B in this situation, I know that PU will be there. In this summer league, there have been several times the ball has gone through and Ive looked up to see my partner watching the play from home plate. Ive talked about this, but his 30 years of BB training just traps him at home.
I personally like baseball; I take in a HS game whenever I can, and I watch the NCAA playoff and WS. But I will not watch MLB. (Of course, if you are from Michigan and are a Tigers fan, that is understandable!)
WMB
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