Who Watches the Tag Up?
 

1 out. R2. MLB game. Batter hits long fly ball to CF. R2 goes back to tag up.

Which up has the responsibilty for determining if he tagged properly? Would the 2nd base up have the catch/no catch responsibility?

4 man mechanics, U2 has the tag up. Depending on where in CF the ball is hit, catch/no catch could be either U1 or U3, as they divide the field. If the ball is hit directly at the CF, then that would be U3's call. U2 is inside with R2 and has no fly ball coverage.

With two man crew, BU should easily be able to see the tag with the ball hit to CF as he is looking right through the bag.

With three man crew, it would be U3 as he can easily line up the ball and runner with U2 taking the catch/no catch.

Thanks
David

David, I belive you have your coverages incorrect on 3 man. (U1 is 1st base ump and U2 is 3rd base ump). In 3 man, with a runner @ 2nd, U1 is in the B position, and U2 is in D. The fly ball would belong to U1 along with the re-touch.

Unless, of course, U1 goes out. Then U3 would have the tag at second.

Rich, If U1 is inside in the B position, why would he go out? I was under the impression that once your inside, your inside. So, U1 has the cone, U2 has F7 to the left field line, and plate has F9 to the right field line in 3 man.

Unless somebody has changed the mechanics and now if you start inside, you can go out?

College (CCA) mechanics. Trouble ball in the cone, 3-man, the inside umpire can (and should) go out. Revert to 2 man.

Thats interesting to know (I don't posess the CCA manual, and reference the PBUC manual), because the way I learned 3 man is that once your in, your in. On a trouble ball in the cone, you get to the fringe of the infield, line up the play / re-touch, and any subsequent play @ 3rd belongs to U2.

rich is correct re: going out from the inside in 3man. i believe it is a new mechanic. we reviewed it at a college 3 man clinic earlier this year.

I believe NCAA has been encouraging going out on trouble from the insidefor three or four years.

does anybody have a mechanics reference that tells umpires that are in B or C to go out in NCAA?

Certainly. It's called the CCA Baseball Umpires Manual. It illustrates and directs when the inside umpire goes out.

To quote one such direction. Title:

Runner on first. Fly ball to left-center field. U3 Goes out

Action on fireld. Deep fly ball to left-center field, no catch. U3 goes out, R1 advances towards third base, drawing a throw there. Batter/runner advances toward second base.


Umpire responsibilities: U3 moves to the outfield to view the no catch. U1 immediately enters the infiedl and has all plays at f8rst and second base. UIC reads R1 and rotates to third base if R1 commits to third.

There are at least 13 other similar instances described. Will this do until you get your copy?

2006 Book, 3 umpires, Basic Principles:

3. <b>Infield umpires <i>may</i> go out.</b> In some situations, an umpire positioned in teh middle of the diamond may cross the basepaths and head into the outfield for better coverage.

Same notation in the 2005 and 2004 editions as well.

Back to the original play. Pro mechanics.

U2 has no outfield responsibility when inside. Either U1 or U3 will go out on the fly ball.

If U1 goes out, then U2 will watch the tag at second and U3 is in position for the play at third. If the ball's to center field, then U1 should go out as it sets up the subsequent play at third better.