Change that call!

[Carl Childress]

CC's list: Boy, we've certainly heard a lot about that in the last week. Most approve of my statement of those time-honored principles. Of course, there are the anti's, that small group of malcontents who always complain about anything signed by me. If I posted here that the sun rises generally in the east, there's some fool who would take issue.

I like that.

It always adds to the import of my opinion when the same tiny group shows up time after time to say "nay." Frankly, every time one of those well-known rabble-rousers says “Carl’s wrong,” I sell another BRD.

But let's get to the crux. No one has seriously argued that the five instances I've listed cannot be changed.

1. check swing: It's in the rules.
2. two umpires make opposite calls: One must be changed.
3. a rule is misinterpreted: It's in the rules.
4. foul/fair on home run/double: Official interpretation by the PBUC, 11/15/00. Besides, there's not one person reading this post who has not seen that on TV many times.
5. dropped ball on a tag: JEA (among others): 9:15-16.

Let's clear the air. Who among us says those five "calls" cannot be changed?

Right!

Thus, we are at the heart of the disagreement; to wit, the plaint by the amateur umpire: “I want to get the call right.” Good: Quit umpiring today!

You are not going to get all calls right.

You cannot get all calls right.

You should not get all calls right.

The neo-romantics are lost in a dream world, a fantasy where they believe the adversaries respect right, truth, justice, and the American way. Santa Claus, Cinderella, The Never-Ending Story: "The kids deserve the right call, and I’m gonna give it to them.”

Wrong!

What people call “Carl’s list” is really “Carl’s rendering of a list.” You can find it iterated by Rich Marazzi, Tom Hammill, Scott Ehret, etc. Here, now, for the first time anywhere, I’m going to give you “Carl’s list” of Calls That Cannot Be Changed.There are four:

1. fielder’s foot is off the base.
2. swipe tag.
3. dropped ball on a force.
4. catch/no catch.

With the exception of #4, first base is the usual scene of the crime.

You won’t get all calls right.

Nobody is perfect; everyone makes mistakes: clichés, of course. Here’s another: All clichés are true. “Get your own plays” is the rulebook’s admonition. What happens when you don’t?

Play 1: Ball beats the runner easily. “He’s out.” Play 2: Ball beats the runner by a nose. “He’s out!” Play 3: Bad throw maybe pulls F3 off the bag. “He’s out.” “Get some help.” The umpire asks his partner, and the call is reversed. Someone pointed out the inevitable outcome: Play 4: Ball beats the runner by a nose. “Get some help.” Illegally changing a call inevitably results in loss of umpire control. Call that “loss of dignity,” if you want. Whatever it’s called, it means that umpire is in trouble for the rest of that game.

Where will it end? If you can be bullied into going for help on one play, why not on the next. And the next?

You should not get all calls right.

The umpire who illegally asks for assistance will forever appear inconsistent.

We always wish we could take it back after we’ve made the wrong call. But when we know we nailed it, we are often eager to debate the merits of our decision. Thus, game participants see us belligerently defending a call and meekly taking back a call. To the untutored the calls look the same. Those who play the game and those who watch the game are entitled to your best efforts the first time.

You cannot get all calls right.

Changing calls on a continuing play would affect the outcome of subsequent play. That is, there is no convenient way to correct the mistake.

The second baseman “tags” R1 (out 1) and throws to first (out two). “Get some help.” But how can you change the first “out”? If you had called safe, no one can know what the second baseman’s second play would have been.

R2, 2 out, B1 is called out on a swipe tag at first. “Get some help.” “OK, he’s safe at first.” But what will you do with R2? He went to the dugout. No, he stopped at third. No, he came on to the plate before time was called for the argument. No, he....

Before, after, and during

The coach says, “Go get some help.” You can go to your partner to get help on a pulled foot or swipe tag (even a catch/no catch when you are screened) by asking before you make the call. The coach says, “Go give some help.” You can do that after the call, as we discussed in other threads, by alerting your partner to information he does not have.

But there’s one call that defies “help”; that is, the call that results from bad timing, specifically, a hurried call where the ball is dropped on a force or force-like play at first. Here’s what I wrote last year in 51 Ways to Ruin a Baseball Game:

The shortstop races in for the little nubber. Speedy B1 races down the base path. It’s a photo finish, but the throw just nips the batter-runner at the wire. The untrained umpire is eager to show he’s decisive and on top of the play, so we in the stands hear “Pow!”(ball into mitt) instantly followed by “He’s out!”

We roar our approval and then snicker at the outcome, for the ball popped out of the fielder’s mitt, and the umpire has now changed his call and signaled “Safe,” pointing sheepishly at the ball in the dirt. He might also be looking for a hole to jump into.

Note: Strictly speaking, the umpire in [the play above] didn’t change that call. He corrected it. That is, the umpire made his decision and almost immediately reversed himself. But the “changed” call is a dog on another hunt.... Briefly: You can always correct a call; you can change a call only in certain clearly defined instances.

It bears repeating: You can always correct a call. My friend and mentor David Mosqueda had horrible timing. I’ve heard him often call: “Strike! Ball!! Strike!!!” On one pitch. He also called about 1000 playoff games in Texas, where the coaches always pick their umpires. Well, the coaches don't pick the umpires for the State Tournament in Austin, but the UIL picked David for that, too. Game participants always forgive and forget “corrected” calls.

But most amateur umpires are so embarrassed when they screw up on their timing, they would rather involve their partners than immediately admit a mistake. Somehow, asking for Smitty’s help makes getting the call “right” all right.

All wrong.

Sometimes you can change a call; sometimes you can’t. But you can always correct a call. Lah, me: Umpiring is really very easy, when you get right down to it.

BTW: Three strikes is always an out, metaphorically. And it’s always a strike out. It’s hard to imagine the kind of person whose mentality urges him to take issue with “three strikes and you’re out.” That’s not nit-picking; that’s just pique.

[Edited by Carl Childress on Feb 8th, 2001 at 09:41 AM]