I think, no, I know I blew a call tonight
 

I had plate for a rivalry district game between the only two high schools in this town-West vs. East at East. East leading in bottom of 6th. Score 4-3. Leadoff hitter for East sets up very inside and close to the plate with his hands, arms and front shoulder over plate. Inside pitch. He does turn away from pitch but probably still in strike zone and over plate. I call dead ball and award first, not sure why but in my mind he seemingly attempted to get out of the way and the pitch was over inside corner. After I award first, West coach comes out to discuss. I talked too much and admitted that I thought the pitch was a strike until it hit the batter. Coach asked me to just admit I blew the call. I said "you got me. I got fooled, I guess." Coach seemed to accept that and went back to his dugout. The hit batsman, lead off hitter made it to second but got put out at third on an infield single, fielder's choice so no more runs because of this blunder. Anyway, West coach admitted that his guys just did not hit the ball with runners in scoring position and hit into at least three DP's over the course of the evening including a game ending one with two runners in scoring position and one out in top of the 6th. Final score 6-4. All's well that ends well I guess. I hated to admit I blew it but I guess I did. How do you avoid getting fooled by hitters like I did tonight? Hind sight is 20-20 and now I think the kid did get hit in the strike zone. I should have called dead ball, stay there batter, strike one due to batter setting up with hands, arms and shoulders in the strike zone before the pitch. Even though he did turn his back to the ball and take the pitch in the strike zone in the upper back .

MajorDave,

Bless you son, you are absolved of your transgression.

For your penance, read the entire text of the "General Instructions to Umpires" (found at the end of Rule 9.0 in the OBR), out loud, to yourself (preferably when no one else is around).

Go forth, and sin no more.

For now, why don't you just grab a beer and kick back. Sounds like you need to relax a little. ;)

JM

MD,

I kicked a pitch for strike 2 in a game last night (called it a strike, it was a hard slider from a RHD pitcher to a LHD hitter, it nibbled down, but it was down). Right away I told the hitter that I screwed up. Two pitches later the pitcher threw a thigh high fast ball that was half a ball in on the inside corner and I rang the guy up. I think he was expecting a make up call, but I wasn't gonna kick 2 pitches in 1 AB. It happens and we move on. Like CJM, nothing an icy one couldn't fix after the game.

Thanks guys-I took your advice
 

I liberally applied a couple of cold ones immediately after my confession on this forum. Slept like a baby for five hours, my usual. What a sport!

To answer the OP...timing, timing, timing. More than likely you called the play too fast. Slow down, replay the play in your mind, convince yourself of your call...then vocalize your call. In this case, "No that pitch was in the strike or Batter made no attempt to get out of the way..." etc.

Slow down!

I have you both beat. DK3, as the catcher moves to my right and I open the gate and rise, I point the strike, but failed to verbally say strike. A lot of movement by the batter, still not totally sure what he did. He did however follow the pitch into and through the catchers glove, taking off immediatly toward 1B. At about the 45, BR looks back and sees the catcher field and throw the ball for the out. Coach is just a little upset to say the least. I don't know why I failed to use a voice mechanic with the call, I didn't, never done this one before in 7 years. Now I'm kicking myself in the head, wondering about continuing. Hell, I've missed a punch out as most of us have one time or another, but I've never done this one! No doubt on the pitch, beautiful, literally on the black knee high, hit the pocket of the catchers glove. I initially was going to do a punch out, instead I just rose and pointed. This one is truly eating at me. DAMN:o
:mad: :mad: :mad:

I saw the kid turn his back shoulder to me and...
 

that's where I got fooled. He did turn away from the pitch but he was set up right on the plate. His feet were less than two or three inches from the plate and his front shoulder was over the plate at the time of pitch. I just didn't think and got fooled because he turned away in the normal avoid an inside pitch fashion. The pitch was a strike in the inside half of the plate and he was well over that half of the plate but not touching the plate with his feet.

were his feet bigger than McCrowder's daugther? He could have been stepping on the plate! :)

LOL ... :D

No Worries
 

We all miss a call from time to time. Umpires are human too.

I had a similar HBP tonight. I'm not sure if I did the right thing. Please advise...

JV game. Very good pitcher throwing for the visitors. Strong non-stop wind blowing across the diamond (from 3rd to 1st) the whole game. This kid had a ball that was moving a foot right to left. I'm sure the wind was playing a role, too. Anyway, the RH batter was fooled on two straight pitches that looked to be way inside and ended up near the center on the plate. 0-2 count. The next pitch starts off looking like the same pitch, only this time it doesn't break. It catches a piece the batter's jersey. No movement by the batter. No attempt at all to get out of the way. I signal dead ball. Go to first base.

The catcher (very quietly & respectfully) mentions that the batter never attempted to get out of the way. I agree with him, but I mentioned that it looked a lot like the previous two pitches that had the batter fooled out of his socks. The catcher sort of chuckled & agreed. I believe the batter didn't move because he (legitimately) figured the ball would.

At the end of the inning, my partner made a comment about the kid not moving. I told him the same story. He wasn't so sure. What do you guys think?

How could this be, the batters box is 6 inches from the inside edge of the plate?

One of those HTBT moments. This is just like the half-swing, in that the umpire has to judge what the batter is thinking. Was he waiting for the pitch to move like the previous ones did or was he just standing there waiting to get hit??

Only YOU know what YOU thought the batter was thinking.

I don't think you really blew the call at all. From your post you indicated the batter turned his shoulder and hit him in the upper back. If it hit him in the upper back, your view of the contact would have been at least blocked somewhat. I can't call a strike if I'm not sure the contact was made IN THE STRIKE ZONE. All I know is it hit him. 99 times out of 100 I'd probably call it just the way you did. Just tell the coach you didn't think the contact was in the strike zone, case closed.

Your feet don't have to be completely within the batter's box to be considered "in the box". You could be right up against the plate and still be legal.