You may want to review who started the thread.

remember the rule
 

gentlemen, remember "angle to distance" not "distance to angle"---get the best possible angle and you will always make the correct call, even if you are 12 to 15 feet away or more, or more, or more!

always!

And that being said, I'd still rather be close to a tag play and farther away for a force play. I can get the calls right watching on TV, but I would rather be on the field. I can get the calls right with a great angle, but if I can get right in there on a tag play (without losing sight of the whole play), I will.

Update:

Back home. Fire (San Miguel) came within a mile of our neighborhood. Others of course not as lucky unfortunately:( .

Thanks once again for all the prayers and concern from all you great brother umpires. We can fiercely argue back and forth on this forum, but at the end of the day we stick together in times of trouble.

Haven\'t been to PBUC lately, have you?

Formerly Chuckfan1
 

I think he just missed it. Nothing to do with "ball beating the runner". Sometimes those headfirst slides are tricky. Arms outstretched. Tag coming down between those arms. BU trying to see if the hands hit the base first, or the tag applied first. Especially if the tag is not being laid on the hands. Where to look? At the hands on the bag? At the point of tag? Cant watch em both. Unless, maybe he is back a few feet.
Im in the camp that he is too close. I like being closer also on a tag play, but not this close. Back up a bit, and maybe get a wider shot of that tag vs hands hitting the bag.

Not relevant. Add one to ignore list.

GarthB
 

sorry buddy, I\'m from Toronto Canada!

We were postponed witrh navy as BUMED is sending tons of folks and funds to SD. Couldn\'t be a better reason, we\'re inconvenienced, you\'re endangered.

I\'m late to the party, but I believe what Garth was alluding to is PBUC\'s recent emphasis on distance being on at least a parity with angle, if not more important at times.

After reading his article, I chatted with some Single A umpires locally and heard the same explanation for some of the little changes I noticed in mechanics.

Mr. Ump
 

I hear where you\'re coming from, I try to do both--get as close as possible and get the best 90 degree angle!