R1 steals to second base-another bad call

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by His High Holiness

Prior to 1991 (?), the pro schools taught that with runners on the corners, the BU should be in position C. In 1991, the changed the mechanics to B. (I could be off by a year or two but I am certain that the current position is B for runners on the corners.)

This is the pro school mechanics only. FED mechanics could be different but since my association does not allow their use, I am not sure what the current FED doctrine is.

Peter

Mr. Obsorne:

Probably you don't have your PBUC manual at work. (grin) When you get home this evening, check out 8.8 to see what the VERY current (2000) edition has to say about where the umpire stands with runners on the corners.

[His High Holiness]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Carl Childress

Mr. Obsorne:

Probably you don't have your PBUC manual at work. (grin) When you get home this evening, check out 8.8 to see what the VERY current (2000) edition has to say about where the umpire stands with runners on the corners.

I just talked to Garrett Prestwood who attended the Jim Evans Pro School in 2001. He insists that the B position was taught for runners on the corners. I can check with a D1 conference umpire who attended pro school in 2001 if you need further confirmation. Further, if you check the UDP manual section 7, you will see that position B is the position listed.

I don't have a copy of the 2000 PBUC manual. It appears that we have a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. I can, however, assure you that in August 2000, at a single A minor league game in the Carolina League that I attended at Prince William County Stadium, the base umpire worked position B with runners on 1st and 3rd.

What we have here is a classic case of the poor journeyman umpire having to check out for himself what actually occurs on the field. You absolutely cannot believe what you see in print or what big dogs say about how they work. Only by going to the field and watching real umpires work can one determine what the true state of affairs is.

Carl did not intentionally mislead anyone. His only sin (g) was to believe what he read in a book. In umpiring, this can be a fatal mistake. You must confirm what you read or hear from a big dog, with what you actually see on a baseball field. Too often, it is not the same thing.

Peter

[Carl Childress]

Originally posted by His High Holiness
Carl did not intentionally mislead anyone. His only sin (g) was to believe what he read in a book. In umpiring, this can be a fatal mistake. You must confirm what you read or hear from a big dog, with what you actually see on a baseball field. Too often, it is not the same thing.

Peter

Peter: Do you think the fact that the discussion was about three-man mechanics might impact your position on this subject?

I only say that because I didn't know they wre using three-man crews in the Carolina League.

Yep, I read a book. I can also read a thread. (Tee, hee!)

[His High Holiness]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Carl Childress

Peter: Do you think the fact that the discussion was about three-man mechanics might impact your position on this subject?

I only say that because I didn't know they wre using three-man crews in the Carolina League.

Yep, I read a book. I can also read a thread. (Tee, hee!)

Carl;

I also read the thread. You will notice that the topic changed to two man mechanics when Moose became involved. You, yourself, must have been aware of this change of the discussion to two man mechanics because you mentioned calling pickoff plays at first from the C position. No one does that in 3 man that I am aware of. (g)

GRE 144's question came after we switched to two man mechanics and clearly involves two man mechanics. That is the question that I was making my responses to after you made the response to GRE 144.

You didn't think that you were answering GRE 144's question in 3 man, did you? (grin) Perhaps you allowed the musings of "Brainless in Seattle" to confuse you. LOL

You had me going for a minute there, Carl. Until I reread the whole thread, I thought that I must be losing my mind. This can be a fatal condition for an umpire. We must never doubt ourselves on the field (or on the internet). Senility forces the retirement of umpires even faster than physical limitations.

Peter

[Bfair]

Peter, I cannot agree with you more. I felt all along Childress was discussing 2 man mechanics. I re-read the thread and noticed Childress' post of 6/29/01 @ 3:58 which talks about R2 only and PU coming up to 3rd base to take the call. Surely Childress could not have been stating that PU should take that call at 3rd with a 3 man crew, could he? LOL

I didn't see anywhere thereafter where a 3 man crew was even discussed.

Just my opinion,

Freix