The phantom out (Expected call)

[pdxblue]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

First, if you were my partner, and chewed my senior, much more experienced a$$, I would proceed to kick yours, and we would see who's a man. In fact if any umpire deemed to "chew my a$$," they would find themselves laid out very quickly.

I ain't on my first rodeo. I have many years of good, solid experience, and I know how that call is made at the highest level of baseball, and that is how I call it too. When the ball beats the runner by a half-mile, the call that every coach I know of wants made is "out." That is the "accepted" call, as well as the "expected" call in the big leagues, so what makes it any different at lower levels? It is different on a fairly close play, or a banger, naturally. In these cases, reward the runner for his outstanding slide. But not when he's thrown out by 20 feet.

God knows how you survived.

So, we call the game the coach wants called? So for the sake of what is "accepted", you risk "integrity"?

I am NOT going to reward a fielder for a sloppy tag! If the throw beat him by 20 feet, that is 20 feet the fielder has to put on a SPECTACULAR tag.

As to you being "senior", you have no idea IF you are "senior". You may be "senior citizen", complete with horrible eye site and not quite sure if there was a tag or not, but, I have well over 20 years umpiring. Even IF you have more than that, and I could care less at WHAT level, if you are making a pathetic out call on a tag that never happened just because that is what is "expected", and "what the coach wants", you WILL get an *** chewing from me (and much deserved). As to you "kicking" my ***? LOL Ok, live your dream.

Many coaches walk away "mad" about me making the RIGHT call, but when the "right" call goes THEIR way, and they know for certain that someday one will, they are thankful for my integrity.

Out of all the great umpires that have mentored me over the years, not ever has one of them ever suggested that I make a wrong call because that is what is "expected", or "what the coach wants". It has always been suggested to make the RIGHT call always, and for that effort, I have done very well and have the respect of partners AND coaches!