Should he stay or should he go

[bluehair]

Hey...hey...hey...I'm late (nobody wants to hear that song...especially sung by their girlfriend), but I'm not done with this thread yet. We can play name that tune later.

I was PU and read this as a scoring play as soon as I saw R1 never slow down at 2B and shift it into 4th gear, so I stayed at home (unfortunately I didn't communicate this to my partner). R1 hit 3B and got 1/3 of the way home, then put on the breaks and went back to 3B. Cutoff man throws to 3B, but R1 is back and beats the tag by 1-2 seconds. But there is a tag and a safe mechanic is appropriate. I'm back home on 3BLX disappointed that he held up, my partner is in working area/3B side of the mound. My partner points at me and then points at the base, gesturing that that call is mine. Because no one else is making tha call, I make a half-hearted safe sign.

In between inning he have a brief discussion (to be continued after the game)about the coverage. He says that I should have been down at 3B for that play. I told him that I read that as a scoring play all the way. He said that I should have come down 3BL and then bust *** for home if he went. The kid was flying...if I had gotten half way down the line, he'd of been at 3B and passing me a second later while I scrambled to get home and I'd be in no position to make a call at home (if he didn't stop).

I think that I had a good read on the play and though I didn't communicate it, I think that I was in the right place. He insists that I should have been down 3BL to make that call at 3B.

So who has the right to think that their partner left them hanging?

[DG]

Pregame: If a we have a runner on 1b and a batted ball leaves the infield I will take the play at 3b if there is one. If a batted ball does not leave the infield it's your call at 3b.

From a position halfway up the line I have never had a runner round 3b and beat me home.

[bluehair]

Originally Posted by DG

From a position halfway up the line I have never had a runner round 3b and beat me home.

Even at age 50 I can run 45 feet before a HS kid can run 90. But I can't get to where I'd prefer to be (3BLX and set) from 45 feet away. Sometimes you have to and get the best position that you can get, but if there isn't a play at 3B, why risk being in a crappy position at home.

[RPatrino]

In this case you didn't have a crappy position for a play at the plate because there wasn't one, instead you were in a crappy position for the play that actually happened. The mechanic of getting half way down to third and staging from the library actually works.

By the why, why would you want to be at the 3blx and set without reading where the runner, ball and tag will be? It's much easier to start at point of the plate and move to either 1blx or 3blx as the play dictates.

[bluehair]

1. If you are 1/2 way to 3B and the ball is still in the outfield when R1 is approaching 3B at some point you're gonna want to get home. You call out, "Tom, I'm headin back home" and start to hustle back. Agree ? R1 goes 1/3 of the way home, then puts on the brakes and goes back to 3B. The cutoff man throws behind R to 3B. Who's call is this now PU or BU ?

2. Would you go 1/2 way down 3BL with R1 and B hits a gapper past the outfielders and you anticipate a scoring opportunity (or is anticipating wrong)?

I'm not trying to justify my mistakes (I know I made some). What I'm trying to figure out is, if it is acceptable/reasonable/prudent on a R1 sitch, to ever not go 1/2 way to 3B when the ball is not going to be back in the infield before R1 rounds 3B.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by bluehair

1. If you are 1/2 way to 3B and the ball is still in the outfield when R1 is approaching 3B at some point you're gonna want to get home. You call out, "Tom, I'm headin back home" and start to hustle back. Agree ? R1 goes 1/3 of the way home, then puts on the brakes and goes back to 3B. The cutoff man throws behind R to 3B. Who's call is this now PU or BU ?

2. Would you go 1/2 way down 3BL with R1 and B hits a gapper past the outfielders and you anticipate a scoring opportunity (or is anticipating wrong)?

I'm not trying to justify my mistakes (I know I made some). What I'm trying to figure out is, if it is acceptable/reasonable/prudent on a R1 sitch, to ever not go 1/2 way to 3B when the ball is not going to be back in the infield before R1 rounds 3B.

If by "anticiapte" you mean "read", then you are correct.

You needn't go 1/2 way up the line to read, but you should be heading in that direction.

And, as yo've noted, communicate both that you are going to third and that you are returning home.

In the play described, I have this as BU's call.

[mbyron]

Right. If I'm BU I've got everything at 3B until my partner hollers "I've got third! I've got third!" (cf. Garth's post). I would not complain if my partner went home on this play, and I'd be in position to make the call at 3B.

That said, I would hope for better communication from my partner than it seems from your post that you exhibited.