Looking to older guys for help

[PeteBooth]

1) 13-15 game, I'm working by myself as partner didn't show. 2nd inning, slow roller to third. 3B picks it up, fires to first, gets the runner by a half-step to a step. My eyes see it, but for some reason my head says safe. Somehow, I don't catch hell from any players, coaches, or parents.

For the most part you will not catch hell from the participants when working solo as long as they see you hustle.

Had the coach come out to talk to me, could I have changed the call? I don't think I could have, because they would have eaten me alive after that, and I don't know if I could have dealt with the $h!tshow from the offensive coach I changed the call on.

You do not change your call. If the coach did come out to talk to you you simply state your case and move on.

2) 13-15 game, I'm BU. Home team has been one of those pain in the *** teams the entire game, whining about balls and strikes, rolling eyes, and on top of that they're not very good. Their pitcher has been close to balking the entire game, as he's not coming to a complete stop,

There is no such thing as "close to balking". F1 eithers balks or not. From your description F1 committed a balk.

If I'm on the bases, I will get say F4/F6's attention and tell them that F1 is not coming to a stop and go talk to him. If I have the dish, I tell F2.

That's it. If F1 does not pay attention to his teammates then you call the balk. You can't all of a sudden call the balk in the late innings if you allowed F1 to do it all game long.

IMO, the game needs consistency and if you allowed F1 to "get away with it all game long" then do not call it. Learn from it so that you do not make the same mistake again.

Also, what did your partner think? You said you were BU so I'm wondering what the PU saw.

Pete Booth