Dilemma - Dropped ball during rundown

[Sal Giaco]

HACKLE????? I rest my case.

Keep on pointin brother - you the man BIG

[mcrowder]

I don't point anymore either. BUT --- it is a good tool early on when one is having trouble with being too quick on the trigger on calls. And it doesn't look horrible. I was not proposing that we ALL go do this, or even that OP should do it indefinitely. I was proposing it to help him get into the habit of that extra half-second that eventually becomes second nature.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by Sal Giaco

Guys,
Trust me when I say do NOT POINT - it looks real bad. The only time you could point is on a swipe tag OUT at first base where you would say "On the tag, he's out". And you only do that on a close tag play. You DON'T point on run down tags, (because it's obvious he was out on the tag - it's not a force), never point on a tag where the fielder drops the ball (regardless if safe or out) and NEVER point at a play when the tag was missed.

I don't mean to sound negative but you guys sound like a bunch of umpires from the 1950's that used to point at everything. Do you guys also use your thumbs when calling people out?

There's one other place where I've headed off potential arguments/discussions by using a point -- on a play at first where the fielder stretches and comes off the bag quickly and ends up 3 feet from the bag by the time everyone else looks down at him -- a simple, "He held the bag. He's out" while pointing at the bag doesn't hurt anyone.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Sal Giaco

I don't mean to sound negative but you guys sound like a bunch of umpires from the 1950's that used to point at everything. Do you guys also use your thumbs when calling people out?

Or doing a criss-cross wave of your arms like a football referee signaling "incomplete pass" when giving the safe signal. 23 skidoo.

[DownTownTonyBrown]

Concensus is SLOW DOWN - an immediate call at first contact (tag) is not needed.

Thanks guys.

I have several more games over the next few days and the weather is finally clearing up - our season is nearly half over and most teams have only had a half dozen games due to cold and rain. It will be busy for the last half season.

I like the hackle comment... fishing season is about to start also, and people are tying flies (hackle)! har-har.