Dropped third strike

[WhatWuzThatBlue]

I won't take issue with this topic since Jim (SoCalBlue1) has already stated what I believe...use what you've been instructed to use, do it well and teach others.

I do have a problem with this statement:

Originally Posted by CoachJM

While I would agree that the players' bear a responsibility for understanding the situation (and their coaches bear the responsibility of teaching them), I don't understand how the players can be held responsible for reading the umpire's mind.

Most coaches teach their players to keep acting on the play until they hear otherwise. Foul balls, foul tips, missed bases, etc - they are all part of waiting for the appropriate call to be made. Don't you insist that a player keeps running until he hears an umpire yell foul? That runner on second should have his head down and be looking to score on a shot down the right field line...he's not waiting to read a mind. Sorry, but that just kind of irked me.

[UmpJM]

WWTB,

The situation I posed is materially different than waiting to hear if a batted ball is going to be ruled foul or not. In that case, there is no "better" thing to be doing, even if the ball eventually proves itself foul.

In the situation I posed, if the batter is already out, I want my catcher to take a shot at the R2 advancing to 3B. If the batter is not out and has become a runner, I want my catcher to take the "easy out" at 1B. I don't see why the umpire can't let everybody in on which it is. He's the only one who knows & he's not the only one with a legitimate reason to know.

I don't see any legitimate rationale for mechanics which keep this from the players when it's not obvious. I'm kind of "irked" by umpires who say "the players should know the situation" or "that's not how my evaluator does it".

MY players DO know the situation. They just don't know what YOU judged - because you didn't tell them and they can't read your mind. Maybe your evaluator should re-evaluate his mechanics.

JM

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by CoachJM

WWTB,

The situation I posed is materially different than waiting to hear if a batted ball is going to be ruled foul or not. In that case, there is no "better" thing to be doing, even if the ball eventually proves itself foul.

In the situation I posed, if the batter is already out, I want my catcher to take a shot at the R2 advancing to 3B. If the batter is not out and has become a runner, I want my catcher to take the "easy out" at 1B. I don't see why the umpire can't let everybody in on which it is. He's the only one who knows & he's not the only one with a legitimate reason to know.

I don't see any legitimate rationale for mechanics which keep this from the players when it's not obvious. I'm kind of "irked" by umpires who say "the players should know the situation" or "that's not how my evaluator does it".

MY players DO know the situation. They just don't know what YOU judged - because you didn't tell them and they can't read your mind. Maybe your evaluator should re-evaluate his mechanics.

JM

Put me down as with the Coach. Sheesh, so many are making this so hard just because there's no carved in stone, universally applied, black-and-white promulgated mechanic for filling the gap that was embarrassingly exposed with the Eddings incident.

What does a BU signal on a trouble fly ball that he judges to be uncaught? Safe signal, "no catch" verbal. Uncaught third strike is completely analogous, and the same mechanic works perfectly well. No muss, no fuss, no Eddings incident.

[socalblue1]

Originally Posted by Dave Hensley

Put me down as with the Coach. Sheesh, so many are making this so hard just because there's no carved in stone, universally applied, black-and-white promulgated mechanic for filling the gap that was embarrassingly exposed with the Eddings incident.

What does a BU signal on a trouble fly ball that he judges to be uncaught? Safe signal, "no catch" verbal. Uncaught third strike is completely analogous, and the same mechanic works perfectly well. No muss, no fuss, no Eddings incident.

Thank you Dave - a perfect way to close this out.

[SAump]

Reading this thread over and wanted to introduce new info. Most readers have read about a new mechanic for a third strike not caught. Signal safe and verbalize no catch. Others disagree that a new signal is needed or that the new mechanic just hasn't gained universal acceptance.

I wanted to introduce a new and possible alternative. Hold 3 strikes up high with pinky ring and middle finger to alert both benches of the call and verbalize no catch. Let the resulting action lower your arm. It avoids the awkwardness of the safe signal after a strike. I like it.

[GarthB]

Originally Posted by SAump

Hold 3 strikes up high with pinky ring and middle finger to alert both benches of the call and verbalize no catch.

You indicate three strikes with two fingers? How many do you use to indicate two strikes?

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by GarthB

You indicate three strikes with two fingers? How many do you use to indicate two strikes?

I think you have to infer a comma between "pinky" and "ring."