Calling Time Out

[Dave Hensley]

Originally Posted by RPatrino

I had an EJ one time (player and 3rd base coach), R2 steals 3b, raises his hand and prior to my 'granting' time out he leaves the base to dust himself off. F5 applies the tag... I have an out!!! Player turns into the Tasmanian Devil and I give him the rest of the game off. 3B coach "F" bombs me and he's heading for his Toyota. HC comes trotting out to see "what the Heck is going on here?" I asked him if he saw the play? He said..."Yes, but I thought you always give a time out in those cases?" My answer, "I don't".

Did it ever occur to you that maybe you should? In the case in point, calling time to allow the player to get up and dust himself off, while the fielder returned the ball to the pitcher, as opposed to playing the cat and mouse game you apparently consider to be baseball that requires the runner to stand up and dust himself off while maintaining contact with the base, lest he be tagged by the fielder who is holding the tag on him persistently - would have undoubtedly avoided the ejectathon you endured instead.

That ain't baseball, at least not any level I'm interested in working. Once a runner has secured possession of a base and is in control of his body (even if it's prone), then the play is over. Refusing to call time to allow both sides to reset only prolongs the game, it doesn't delay it.

Watch a pro game and see how professional umpires handle this issue. The claim that calling time always delays the game is simply a canard. Make the defense earn its outs playing baseball, not little league.