Over-Turning your partners call

[Warren Willson]

Originally posted by oregonblue
Summer over 30 ball. R3, 1 out, fly ball to F7 down the line. Caught after fumbling, R3 tags and scores. Defense appeals to PU that R3 left early. PU calls R3 out. Inning over, no score. Offense explodes in dugout and coach heads for PU. I hear their complaint, but didn't see R3 leave as I was checking BR for touch of 1st. PU had ball and R3. I intercepted the coach and walked calmly to my partner, and asked if R3 left at the first touch by F7. He said yes, and I quietly reminded him of the rule, he then reversed himself. Was that the proper way fellas? BTW, I'm balkman on McGriff's.

I'm going to disagree with Thom and suggest that this could have been handled better. Don't get me wrong. The result was fit and proper in the circumstances. It's just that I don't believe you complied with the spirit and intent of OBR 9.02(b) and (c). Let's have a look at those provisions again in this context.

1. OBR 9.02(b) says the manager may appeal the decision, but ONLY with the umpire who made it. You short-circuited that by intercepting the coach before he got to your parter.
   
2. OBR 9.02(c) says that the umpire making the decision, and therefore the umpire properly appealed to, "may" ask his partner for information. You short-circuited that by going to your partner before you were invited.
   
3. OBR 9.02(c) says that no umpire should "criticize, seek to reverse or interfere with" another umpire's decision unless asked to do so. You breached this provision by taking the choice out of your partner's hands.
   

There has to be a process for dealing with such situations. In your circumstance in LL, using a "dad out of the stands", that is especially important but it is no less so in Over 30 Summer Ball. In my league we have a signal that tells one umpire that the other umpire has information that may help. It is arms folded across the chest. You needed such a signal, and a pre-game discussion with both partners about what to do when it is given in the incidents you mentioned.

The principles that we described previously for dealing with an apparent misapplication of the rules do not strictly apply here. At the root of this call was a judgement decision. You couldn't be sure you actually had a rule misapplication until AFTER you intervened and found out precisely what your partner saw. That doesn't fit the circumstances described earlier for overturning a call on an obvious rule misapplication.

Since there was a legitimate "doubt" that your partner may have applied a rule correctly, the appeal under OBR 9.02(b) was appropriate. Once the manager started that process by calling "Time" and coming onto the diamond, you should NOT have sought to interfere until invited to do so in accordance with OBR 9.02(c). Instead, you should have given your "I can help" signal and let your partner break off and come to you for advice. If he doesn't, that's his choice. If and when it becomes a protest situation THEN you can discuss it, whether he asks you first or not. Not before.

Cheers,

Warren Willson

[Edited by Warren Willson on Dec 10th, 2000 at 06:01 PM]