Mechanics Help Please

[Warren Willson]

Originally posted by Bfair
There is no dignity in maintaining an obviously blown call.....
And it is acceptable to seek help if there is doubt in your mind that you may have missed a crucial element of the play---even if such help is sought after a coach's request to seek that help. Seeking help is not based upon the coach's actions, but rather your certainty of your initial decision in whether you felt you saw all elements of the play to get the call correct.

Isn't it amazing how two people can read the same MLB Umpire Manual and come away with an entirely different understanding of its admonitions?

I see the issue of getting help revolving around certain key points that reflect how different umpires call the game. Let me take you through those points on a simple Safe/Out call in a pulled foot situation at 1st with the BU in B:

1. Did you see the foot ON the bag?
   1. If the answer is YES, then MAKE YOUR CALL and NEVER go for help, despite any subsequent protests!
   2. If the answer is NO, then I say DON'T MAKE A CALL! Instead, immediately ask your PU partner "Did he hold the base, Bob?"

2. Did you see the foot OFF the bag?
   1. If the answer is YES, then I say MAKE YOUR CALL and NEVER go for help, despite any subsequent protests!
   2. If the answer is NO, but you had some suspicion that it may have come off, then I say DON'T MAKE A CALL! Instead, immediately ask your PU partner "Did he hold the base, Bob?"

3. Did you not see the position of the foot at all?
   1. Then I say DON'T MAKE A CALL! Instead, immediately ask your PU partner "Did he hold the base, Bob?"

Where, in all of those possible situations, is there any necessity to react to an "appeal" from a coach?

My point is that if you have proper timing, and you only call what you see, then you don't NEED advice from any coach to "Get help on that call, Blue!" The only officials who feel the need to accede to a coach's request to get help are those who want to make an unnecessarily quick call, even though they haven't seen the whole play, believing they can go back and change it afterward if someone else doesn't like it! That's NOT quality officiating, IMO. I believe it is also illegal under OBR 9.02(a), but that point is not really worth arguing.

Now I am NOT saying there aren't calls that MUST be made, even though you don't have ALL the information necessary. What I AM saying is that seldom happens on a pulled foot at 1st base, which is the case that Bfair originally advocated and to which I originally objected.

Getting help should NOT be necessary AFTER you've made a call and AFTER you've been asked to do so by a coach.

Have I changed my position on that subject? Not one iota! Bfair is just having his usual trouble reading and comprehending arguments that are not his own.

I have ALWAYS said that there is a time and a place for getting help. Bfair and I disagree on that point. He wants licence to get help any time a coach argues/appeals his call. I say that, too, is indicative of poor officiating technique.

Hope this helps

Cheers