To think that not more than a couple of months ago I credited you with having a sense of humor, Rich...........



Tim.

As Mark Twain said, you can make a mistake only once - after that it's a bad habit.

"Nurse, hand me the sense of humor transplant, STAT!" ;)

Rich,

Please don't tell me you are just becoming aware of this double standard.

Coaches are "rats" because all that motivates them is the crazed desire to win.

Yet, an umpire who blows a call (and KNOWS he blew it), will lie to extract himself from the situation.

To me, if an umpire has blatantly blown a call:

1. If the nature of the blown call is such that the bell can be unrung, so to speak, he should do so. Yes, yes, yes - I'm aware of the "sacred" laundry list of calls that can't be changed. But that list is only a "thumbrule". As a practical matter, an umpire should always try to find a way to rectify a manifest unfairness.

I just saw an excellent example of this in one of my sons' summer JV games. With the bases loaded and the pitcher in the windup position, he quickly made a move toward 1st and failed to make a throw. The PU immediately called it a balk. Quite frankly, from my perspective, I may have also called this a balk. The other team complained, "But he stepped off!" The PU quickly asked the BU if the pitcher had stepped off to which the BU confirmed that the pitcher had. The PU changed his call and sent the runners back. No big deal and everybody was happy.

2. If it was a blown call that the umpire cannot change - he should say so. He should not volunteer that he had blown it, however. But if a blatantly blown call is challenged, the umpire should probably confess.

Again, watching my sons play, I saw a batter from the opposing team get so completely fooled by a changeup that he actually hit the ball with the plastic cap at the end of his bat - hitting it almost like a pool stick. It sounded very odd. The PU overreacted and quickly threw his hands up and called it foul. But, actually, the ball was FAIR as it skipped down the 1st base line and was easily picked up by the pitcher. It would have been a certain out. The defensive coach and inquired as to WHY the ball was ruled foul. The umpire simply said, "I blew it coach. I called it too soon. But I can't change it. Sorry." The coach was real happy, but he accepted it and life went on and all was forgotten.

3. If the umpire is uncertain of his call and only SUSPECTS that he may have blown it, he might as well adopt a view of the play that supports his call. I wouldn't consider this lying. The umpire may even confess that it was a close call but that he called it the way he did because that was his view of the play.

David Emerling
Memphis, TN

Funny, this happened in one of my regional games this year. PU called it a balk, and after some prodding, came and asked me if the pitcher had disengaged. I told him he had, and the PU unrung the bell.

Unlike your game, though, I ended up ejecting the first base coach over it. C'est la vie.

God, how I love to eject assistant coaches. Too bad there's all that damn paperwork to fill out.:)

Thanks Tim - and remember the humor part if I should someday recommend that a catcher not catch a pitch . . .. .

Have fun in the parking lot, you and your catcher....