Tag at the Plate...Deja vu!

[blueump]

Man, the replays on the Braves/Mets phantom tag looked just like my play Saturday:

Championship game of a FED tournament. Runner at 3rd comes home on a ground ball to the 3rd baseman. The catcher sets up on the inside of the foul lines, about 5 feet up the line toward 3rd. The 3rd baseman, who is playing in, bobbles the ball, then recovers late to throw home for a play.

The base runner slides as the catcher recieves the ball; the catcher turns late to attempt a swipe tag. The runner's body totally blocks me out of seeing if there was contact with the glove. I also "heard" nothing. I ruled the runner safe, which made the home coach explode. The crowd was screaming, I got no help from my partner when we got together.

Here's my question: Was I set up in the correct position? I usually set up for a play at the plate just up the 3rd base line in foul territory about 4 feet. I don't want to get in the way of a throw from the 3rd base side, and I don't feel I can get as good of a view (on most plays) from the first base side.

I'm sure if there actually was a tag (on this particular play) I would have seen it from the first base side of home plate, or even on the inside of the foul lines, but how can you tell one of these "blocked out" plays is coming? Where do you guys usually set up on a play at the plate?

[LMan]

Ive been told that, if you have time, its advisable to position yourself perpendicular to the throw (1BLX for a throw from the LF side, 3BLX for a throw from the 1B side).

If you were 1BLX here (as I would be, from reading your info), Im not sure how you could have been blocked.

[RPatrino]

Blue:

From your description it sounds like you were straight-lined on the play with the runner blocking your view of the tag. That happens on plays where you are in 1BLX, and I've learned that the hard way.

My thought is to set-up at the "point" of the plate, not to set up automatically at 1BLX on every play. You didn't mention that you did this, so I will assume you did'nt. If you set up at the point, you can then adjust to 3BLX on throws coming from left field/center field, which "generally" result in plays where the catcher blocks the plate. The 3BLX puts you on the "other" side of the runner, where you can see clearly the tag by the catcher and in fact, you can actually move as far as you need to get a good view.

I know it's uncomfortable at first, but the 3BLX is a really good place to see that play at the plate.

Just my 2cents.

Bob P.

[LMan]

That's really good advice, Bob. I've been told to start at the 'point' and work from there but the urge to go 1BLX every time is a hard one to break!

[briancurtin]

i agree with bob and have done the same thing: get to the point of the plate and let the throw (and runner) take you where you need to go. you can swing right off of the point and you are only a few big steps away from either extension of the line.

[BlueLawyer]

I have been "camped" and "cliniced" up until about two years ago to get 1BLX. Now PBUC and CCA are apparently telling everybody to go 1BLX for throws coming in from CF to the third base fence and 3BLX for every thing on the right field side of that. It is a very hard habit to break and I took one from 1BLX Saturday on a throw home from the first baseman. I saw the play just fine (although I had to cheat fair by about two steps), but I am working on it.

Strikes and outs!