A changed call at Texas

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by BJ Moose


Four very enlightening lines above. And all are exactly applicable to the great Ruminant Play! and the classic, OUT er SAFE call at 1st on the pulled foot.

Just change the sitch.

BU makes call, OUT.
Another Umpire, standing at attention at 45 feet has information. (F3 was WAY off the bag)
Two umpires, in essense, have made different decisions on the play, but only ONE was announced.
After consultation, the improper call is reversed and the proper call (SAFE) is made. Mike Branch

Sorry, but that's not right.

1. In the "pulled-foot" play, the base umpire has sole responsibility for the call. It is his and his alone.

2. In the "hit by pitch" play, as in the batted ball hitting the runner, the dropped third strike, all the infield umpires have concurrent jurisdiction.

One of the first lessons you learned from your Youth Ball Supervisor was: "When you see that ball hit the batter, throw up your hands and yell 'Dead ball!' It's not an appeal, Mike. It's your call too. Sometimes (often) the plate umpire will be blocked. See the play, make the call."

An umpire with sole jurisdiction has two options when he suspects he is in trouble:

(1) Make a call, then correct it immediately.
(2) Ask for help BEFORE making a call.

Afterwards, unless the call matches one of the five recognized instances when a call can/must be changed, you are stuck forever with the original outcome.

Now, we know umpires of amateur games change those calls in a heartbeat. Then, when the trained umpire shows up at the park where Old Smitty has been practicing revisionism, the good umpire is the one everyone thinks screwed up.

Alas!