Asked for help on this play.

[nickrego]

This happened in a game last week.

Adult League, I'm BU.

No outs, No runners.

Batter hits a slow grounder to F6. Very easy / routine play (I just jinxed myself). So I take a couple of steps into fair territory and wait for the throw.

F6 bobbles the ball, then rushes the throw. The throw pulls F3 off the bag to wards Home Plate, and behind the runner. F3 catches the ball, and makes a vertical tag motion at the runner. Well, even though I tried leaning in to see, I was totally blocked out by the runner, because of the vertical tag motion.

Fortunately, my partner was following the runner up the line, like he should be, and was right there. I pointed to him and asked, "did you see a tag ?" He replied, "Yes, I saw a tag." I then called the runner out.

For you new umpires...Notice I didn't ask my partner to make MY call. I asked him a specific question, to help ME make MY call. If he hadn't been in position, I would not have asked him, and I would have called the runner based on what I saw (probably safe).

Why would I have called him safe ? Two reasons:

1. I didn't see the tag touch the runner.
2. It was a routine play that was botched by the defense. If I have to guess, I'm not going to reward them for a play like that.