I like the "I'm on the line".

In response to Bob Jenkins, this is the exact reason why as BU I'm gonna move towards the 3rd base line here. 99% of the time, nothing will be happening at 1st base, unless the RF is playing 30 feet into the outfield and its a linedrive. I'll be able to take 6-7 steps in any other situation towards first if I see a throw going there, and that will be able to get me the angle I need (even though I'm really far away).

Bob good point.
If the BU is waiting for an out call and the ball is misplayed yet still caught for an out then there could be problems. There is no doubt that the best practice is, as has been stated that you need to be ready for a play such as this and be in good position to see as much as you can and prepared to cover either base.
Do any of you work with the same umpire enough to have some type of signal to let your partner know that you saw a goood or bad tag up?

No, I don't have any signal or plan to use one. The tagups, as BU, are my responsiblity, if I missed it I missed it, no way PU should be looking for anything other than fair foul or catch no catch, or moving up the line towards third with R1 and not dealing with MY tagups.

If I missed a tagup, I missed it, and if PU was to help me on MY call, managers around here would pick me apart, and have good reason to do so.

I agree BU has both runners, and a large percentage of the time the throw is not going to 3B but 2B to keep R1 out of scoring position. Unless it is shallow and then R2 probably is not going anyway.

I don't see how anyone could advocate that PU take the runner into 3rd in this situation.

PU has fair/foul, then catch/no catch. He should be straddling the line and moving toward 1b. Anyway you slice it, the PU could not get anywhere near 3b to make a call there.

Bob:
 

IF I were the Minor League instructor I would say to you the following:

"Mr. Patrino the answer is obvious . . . if you, as an umpire, REALLY believe in "angle over distance" think about this play . . . the PU, no matter HOW FAR FROM THE PLAY has the "angle" for the call over the BU WHO WILL NEVER have the Angle!"

The MiLB instructor is simply testing those that say "angle over distance" and this is an excellent example of that concept.

Regards,

Remember, this wasn't a MiLB instructor, this was an independent league supervisor.

I think the only way to dispel this is to consider how this would have to be covered if the PU were to be able to get to third.

Someone has to stay with the catch/no catch after the PU determines fair/foul. If the PU is heading to third, it's not him. So the BU would have to pick up the catch/no catch aspect of this along with the tag of first and second on the first touch. So the BU would have to slide over from C and line up the touch and both tags while the PU busts a$$ down to third.

Yup, it's idiotic.

Set Priorities
 

Base Umpire jurisdiction with Runner(s) on Base
All runners touching 1st and 2nd.
* B/R touching 1st, 2nd and 3rd.
All tag-ups at 1st and 2nd.
All steals at 2nd and 3rd.
* All plays on bases, except when PU covers 3rd or end of rundown.

Plate Umpire jurisdiction with Runner(s) on Base
All runners touching 3rd except B/R.
All tag-ups at 3rd.
Steal of Home.
* Will help out on plays at 3rd:
a) 1st to 3rd situations.
b) In tag-up situations with runners on 1st and 2nd.
* Rundowns, if possible.

Does that include the cutoff man throwing behind R2 if he takes too big of a turn at third? Someone has to be in position to make that call if it happens.


Tim.

Hummm Baseball common sense, Anticipation. Does F9 have a good arm, how fast is R1 & R2, how deep was the ball hit, is F9 a lefty or righty, is R2 standing on the bag or halfway, is F9 coming in on the ball. These are things we have to pay attention to when we have a play in front of us that could end up resulting in any a number ways. Besides understanding the field mechanics I have been taught and learning in places like this I rely a great deal on my baseball common sense and allways try and get a feel for the game at hand.

Tee, I can buy into your theoretical "devil's advocate" argument. The problem comes when I try to sell my call at third from somewhere around the plate, or maybe even further across the diamond nearer the 45 foot line.

Do we not even try to gain angle on the possible trouble ball/foul ball on the RF line to sacrifice better angle for the play at 3b?

This is the classic quandary of compromise in the 2 man system. In most cases, if the BU is in C, and he drifts back moving toward the 3rd base cut out to open his field of vision to see tags by R1 and R2, he will be at pretty close to the same angle the PU would be in covering the catch. Plus the BU will be closer.

Yep,
 

Bobby thank you for pointing out that I tied to "explain" what the guy might have meant.

We all know that this is just one of the compromise situations that occurs in two man coverage.

We also "really know" that the clinician was wrong (if quoted correctly here) and that the poor BU has about 10 different things to do on this play.

I would love to have an e-mail address of the clinician so I could ask him "what did you really mean?"

One Rule ~ One Interpretation ~ One Mechanic (the correct one)

hmmm
 

To answer your first question, who's on third, why R3 of course?

PWL, please explain your point.....

(I will probably regret this)