GUYS:

Here is a absolute gaff I made last week. This has been mulled over by a few umpire lists with varying views. I thought it would make for a good discussion here.

Here is the situation.

Boy, I really booted one this time. Here are the particulars.

Top of 5th, visitors down 4-0. 1 out, R1, R2. F3 is holding R1, left handed batter. The batter pulls one toward 1st, which F3 reaches for, but it is out of his reach buy about a foot or so (or so I thought from my view). It hits R1, then bounds barely into the outfield. F4 had no chance to make a play.

OK, at this point, I know he was hit. I immediately yell "Time" and declare interference and call R1 out. Then, in my mind I ask, "what the hell am I doing?". Apparently the 3rd base coach heard me talking to myself, because
he had the same question (just not as politely)!

So, long story short, I tell both coaches once I got them together that I booted it and I am going to award B1 1st and leave the bases loaded with one out. Visiting coach protests that had I not called time, his R2 would have
scored and that I should award him home (similar to spectator interference). I tell him, nope, can't do that, this is the best I can do to rectify my massive brain fart. He protests anyway. Next batter grounds into 6-4-3 DP to
end the inning. Visitors lose 5-0.

Here is where this situation causes some problems. In Canada, we do not use the "within arms" reach for interference. On this play, F3 had his shot. Now, from my view it was out of his reach, but he had his shot. It hit the runner who was breaking from the base. Under our interpretation (which is similar to Brinkman's when he owned his school), runner is not out if it has passed a fringe infielder and another has no shot.

Upon consultation with my partners they tell me it was under his glove (that still wouldn't change my call in this case anyway - he should not be out). So, for arguement's sake, lets say the ball WAS about a foot out of F3's reach (as I had initially seen it). I say (or should have here -grin), "that's nothing" and play on.

Two questions:
1. What is your call? Why?
2. If you have booted it like I did, and the coach is in your face, how do you rectify it? Is your solution the same as mine?

Blaine

Without seeing it I would say it's about as good as you do, unless the ball went far enough to award home but it didn't sound like it. If you had awarded home you would of had the same problem with other coach. The best thing is award with authority and restart the game.

You use a "gaff" to land a fish. A stupid mistake is a "gaffe".

Bob

As someone once told me, " You live with the call, you die with the call". Go with your original call and call the runner out. Explain to the coach that the first basemen had no chance at the ball(whether he did or not is irrelevant at the moment you called interference).

Rectifying bad calls, except for absolutely rare situations, make things worse. If the coach heard you say to yourself that you blew the call just simply say that he is misinterpreting your self talk and say,"Coach R1 is out because of interference." Keep it short and sweet and get on with the game. Just my opinion.

Greg

Can someone go over the string theory again? That really helped me out but it is vague in my mind again.

Greg

The "String theory" applies only to FED rules. Attach an imaginary string from F3 to F4 to F6 to F5 (assume they are playing in somewhat "normal" positions). If the ball goes past the string before the runner is hit, the runner is not out. If the runner is hit before the ball crosses the string, the runer is out.

Under current OBR rulings, the string theory is not valid.

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Glad you made the difference crystal clear Bob. G.