When to signal, or not to...

[UMP25]

Originally Posted by Uncle George

I'm not afraid of selling close calls. I belive that when you "sell the call", it most often brings out the coach to protest the call. It seems the closer the call, the louder you get, the trouble you're going to get into!

Au contraire. It tends to be quite the opposite. I've seen it. Many times. In my observations/evaluations of umpires this past spring (D-II and D-III games here), I saw more than once an umpire give a nonchalant or "normal" out call on a wacker at first base. Each time this resulted in significant griping or an outright argument. Oftentimes I heard the "Are you SURE?!?" from the dugout. Even I, as observer, instantly had a question in my mind as to whether that umpire got it right or not, and why? Because on such a close play his not being emphatic--selling the call--implied that he may not have been so sure of himself.

Oftentimes perception is more important than reality, whether we care to admit it or not.