Different calls

[Jay R]

Folks, I'd like some opinions on a situation that happened in a game.

R2 and R3, Nobody out. Three person umpire crew. U1 is in the infield while U3 on the 3rd base line. The batter hits a sharp grounder over third, U3 signals fair ball while the PU calls foul visually and verbally but not very loud. The play continues with both runners scoring and the BR ends up on second base. As soon as the play stops, the catcher and the pitcher (and later the manager) argue it was called foul by the PU. The three umpires conferred and decide to let the play stand because the ball really was fair, the plate umpire admitted he anticipated the call (although it was not his call to make).

What would you have done? Let the play stand because you want to make the right call. Or go with the foul call because it could be argued some defensive players stopped playing when they heard the foul call?

J

[BigUmp56]

Originally Posted by Jay R

Folks, I'd like some opinions on a situation that happened in a game.

R2 and R3, Nobody out. Three person umpire crew. U1 is in the infield while U3 on the 3rd base line. The batter hits a sharp grounder over third, U3 signals fair ball while the PU calls foul visually and verbally but not very loud. The play continues with both runners scoring and the BR ends up on second base. As soon as the play stops, the catcher and the pitcher (and later the manager) argue it was called foul by the PU. The three umpires conferred and decide to let the play stand because the ball really was fair, the plate umpire admitted he anticipated the call (although it was not his call to make).

What would you have done? Let the play stand because you want to make the right call. Or go with the foul call because it could be argued some defensive players stopped playing when they heard the foul call?

J

I know that last year during an MLB game there was a precedent set allowing the call of foul on a similar play to be overturned. I'm not so sure that it was the right thing to do though. I've always been taught that you have to live with the call of "foul" with the exception being a homerun that was initially ruled foul incorrectly.


Tim.

[DG]

Originally Posted by Jay R

Folks, I'd like some opinions on a situation that happened in a game.

R2 and R3, Nobody out. Three person umpire crew. U1 is in the infield while U3 on the 3rd base line. The batter hits a sharp grounder over third, U3 signals fair ball while the PU calls foul visually and verbally but not very loud. The play continues with both runners scoring and the BR ends up on second base. As soon as the play stops, the catcher and the pitcher (and later the manager) argue it was called foul by the PU. The three umpires conferred and decide to let the play stand because the ball really was fair, the plate umpire admitted he anticipated the call (although it was not his call to make).

What would you have done? Let the play stand because you want to make the right call. Or go with the foul call because it could be argued some defensive players stopped playing when they heard the foul call?

J

If the game was played under FED rules it's a FOUL. You can't reverse a foul call on a ball that touches the ground in fair territory.

If the game was under OBR you can reverse the call if everyone concerned ignored the original call (or did not see or hear it) and played the ball normally as if it had not happened. If the ball was hit over 3B and the FOUL call from PU was not very loud and F7 played the ball normally because he saw U3 pointing fair then the call should stand.