Ump position?
 

The other night I was working a High School game, partner in C position and I behind the plate, runners on 1st and 2nd, there is a hit to the left field gap that the left fielder makes a diving attempt to catch the ball. I see the ball hit the kids glove, I don't see it come out, but the kid gets up off the ground and shows the ball, but it is now in his bare hand. When the kid hit the ground the ball popped up from the glove and he caught it bare handed, this is what he said after the game.

My question is, who should have had the out call? My partner at C or me from down the third base line?

BU's call.

The ball in the "V" belongs to the umpire in the middle.

I had one just like this yesterday. I was BU, and as I raised my fist and was about to say "Catch!" I hear Smitty behind me shouting "Catch!"

Ol' Mr. Smith does a lot of one-man games...

I know I would have turned around and asked him, "I guess you don't really need me at all, do you?"

Depends. Where was the fielder and in what direction was he moving?

If he was heading toward the line at the time of the dive and catch, he belongs to PU. Otherwise, he belongs to BU.

He said the ball was hit into the gap, which to me sounds like he wasn't moving toward the line.

I try to minimize my assumptions when responding to posters with whom I'm unfamiliar.

He was going away from the line.

I didn't make a call on this because I thought it was the base umps call since he was a lot closer to the play than I, so there was an uncomfortable moment there when he didn't make a call and I didn't make one either. We then got together and discussed it and called it a catch.

Then after the game we discussed it again and he thought it was my call so he was watching the lead runner touch third and looked up in time to see the catch. Now I think we have it figured out, I will have to discuss it with him.

~Sigh~
 

" . . . so he was watching the lead runner touch third . . . "

Oh my, he does need a bit of work on mechanics doesn't he?

Regards

Right result, wrong reason. It's BU's call because that's the mechanic. I would encourage you to purchase, study, and learn the PBUC two-man mechanics manual, or whatever mechanics manual your group uses.

Mechanics? We don't need no stinkin mechanics!!

My 2-year-old is outstanding at that.