When the obvious call isn't the right call

[Don Mueller]

Originally Posted by GarthB

No, your experience, or lack thereof, is showing. My attitude toward this play hasn't changed in 30 years.

The example you cite doesn't fit the parameters of the debate. I know of no "obvious call" advocate who would disagree that safe was the right and obvious call to make.

Thanks for playing. Better try next time.

Originally Posted by Don Mueller
And why praytell would you make a call contrary to what you saw?
That indeed would be a smittyism

Your response

Originally Posted by GarthB

R2 stealing third, F2 fires down. F5 receives ball before R2 begins head first slide. F5 lays glove down six inches on 2nd base side of the bag. Everyone, including his coach see R2 slides into the tag clearly before the bag, but you, and only you, think that you saw his right hand touch the bag a micro-second before his left hand touched the glove

Your call?..

My OP very similar. Reds F4 receives ball before Fox starts slide. F4 has glove stationary in front of bag (high) well before the touch of the bag.
Before replays the tv audience didn't know if there was a tag and neither did the stadium crowd. The expected call was "out"
Only after replay was it an "obvious safe"

And here are some thoughts from some of the other "obvious call" advocates

Originally Posted by striker99

Okay dogs...time to defend purposely making the wrong call because it is "expected."

Striker calling you out

Originally Posted by SDS

I learned the hard way on that call. My "safe, no tag!" call got me a big butt chewing, and I have taken much less grief by making the expected call ever since. Occasionally, a coach or player will briefly whine "he didn't tag me, Blue" but that is usually the extent of it.

Originally Posted by Pete booth

Same is true concerning the phantom tag. 1. Player out "by a mile" (good margin), good throw and tag where it should be = OUT.
In Summary; When a runner is out they are out and the defense needs to proove to you otherwise

I'm not sure what he means "by tag where it should be", since that is on the runner and he obviously means otherwise

Originally Posted by jim porter

You have that a bit wrong. The call that's obvious to everyone is the *right* call. The call can't be, "wrong," if it's obvious to everyone. It might not be exactly what you think you saw, but it's most certainly the *right* call.
Because the *right* call is the call obvious to everyone. If the whole world sees an out, by golly it's an out. What kind of an umpire would say that it wasn't? Our very jobs are to ensure that one team does not gain an unfair advantage not intended by the rules. It isn't about microscoping and minutiae.

It's not a Smittyism, it's advanced umpiring. It's how such concepts like the phantom tag play and the neighborhood play came to be -- two techniques we see employed by the big boys in MLB on a daily basis.

Originally Posted by Ace

This is one of the best posts I have ever read --on any umpgroup. Huzzahs, JP.

Referring to above post

Originally Posted by Jicecone

Great Jim

EXACTLY, EXACTLY, EXACTLY

Referring to above post

Originally Posted by Bigump56

Let me ask you something then, Rei. Lets say you have R2 sliding feet first straight into third on a steal where the ball beat him by at least a step. Are looking for F5 to keep his glove down in front of the bag to actually make contact with the runner's foot, or are you going to allow him to make a swipe tag that's close enough for everyone to believe he applied the tag............

As I said, I hope Holbrook's attitude filters down to some amateurs.