Make the call

[mcrowder]

Picking boogers is going out of your way to take something irrelevant and making it relevant (sniping for inappropriate comments made 90 feet away, etc). Or maybe making a "by-the-book" call on an insignificant violation (LL: R1 on third lifts his left foot - the only one on the bag - to scratch the ankle and puts it right back down - you drop the flag for leaving early)

This one wasn't picking boogers - it was just wrong.

[cmckenna]

Middle School game - FED Rules. Coaches probably had no clue.

I was watching the HS varsity on the other field (the first base line fences are shared by the 2 fields so i was pretty close) and one of the MS parents who knows me asked what the correct ruling should be. I provided no answer at the time because I did not see the whole thing for myself and I try not to comment on brother officials actions to fans.

My thought was.... No intent to interfere... play on. Why reward the catcher for making a bad throw.

[RPatrino]

In my mind, 'picking a booger' is when you do something either by omission, commission, ignorance or arrogance that ends up making more trouble for you then it is worth.

You call it what you will.

Bob P.

[mcrowder]

OK. But even under your definition, does this fit? Not so much a booger picking as just a screwup - probably didn't cause these umpires any extra heartache at all.

[RPatrino]

Let's not split semantic follicles. Per my definition this is an error of commission and/or ignorance that could have been prevented.

Bob P.

[mbyron]

C'mon guys, not one mistake here, but two!

1. They called the batter out for interference (wrong: the batter is afforded a complete opportunity to hit the pitch, and is not expected to disappear just because F2 needs to throw to 3B),

AND

2. they called R2 out because the throw "would have made it in time!" (wrong: on batter interference, wait to see whether F2's first throw retires a runner - if so, ignore the interference, if not, call the batter out, not the runner - never a DP for batter interference).

Ugh.

[jkumpire]

This is a true story from about a month ago.

HS Varsity game, R2 is trying to steal 3B. BR takes piche right down the middle, thigh high.

F2 comes up throwing, hits BR in the helmet and then the ball hits the bat and rolls down the line in foul ground. BR is doing nothing but standng there in the batters box.

F2 says, "What's going on, that's a dead ball" as he watches R2 score.

"No it isn't, he didn't interfere with you, you hit him with the throw."

"Yes it's a dead ball, I've had four other umpires call that play the same way Blue."

I then call time after R2 scores, brush off the plate, and look up at F2 and say, "I'm sorry son, what can I tell you? Your umpire friends have been wrong four times, and you got lucky. But that ain't today. Life's tough some days, isn't it?"