HR or B-RD
 

Had this happen last night

I'm PU, no runners. Pitch driven to deep CF. Balls goes over CF head as he leaps to make catch. Ball goes over fence, in my belief after bouncing on the field side of the fence. I give BRD

I didn't have the best angle to see it. By the time I picked it up and was ready to make a ruling (catch/no catch, etc) i was only just off the HP dirt area and unfortunetly straight lined to the ball bouncing. I was 100% sure it bounce before the fence and bounded over, of course batting team thought it went over, coaches from each team didn't say anything.

BU didn't have anything, as he was watching touch at first.

Any tips in this situation to get a better look or any tips for BU also, maybe watch flight of ball and pick up touch later (if timing allows)

As i said it was driven hard, lot a lazy pop fly. My reaction was find ball off bat, clear catcher (while removing mask) and get a couple steps into play.

Thanks, flame away

1. With no runners on, get much more than "a couple steps into the play." On plays like this I get out "mound deep" or better.

2. Check the fielders on hits like this. They will indicate where the ball is headed. When moving out, get an angle instead of heading directly towards the fielder getting ready for the ball.

I figure that if there's baseball in hell, all fields are like this one just to punish the umpires.

Read the ball quicker and come out on an angle -- don't run to the mound, but try to head down towards third base to give yourself a better look from the "side" of the hit, if possible. Some balls are hit so hard there's little time to get more than a few steps.

I try to read the reaction of the fielders. If the coaches didn't say anything, then just assume you're right and play on. Frankly, the only ones that probably know with any degree of certainty are the outfielders.

Let me ask a real stupid question here. If the BU is in "A", why isn't he out on the ball? A shot to CF like this would be a perfect time for the BU to perform his duties whilst you take the batter-runner.

1. I agree with Oz, this should be BU's call. But maybe it was to the LF side of CF and he read it as PU's. Even so, there should be 4 eyes on this ball (see #2).

2. Even if pivoting, BU needs to watch the ball, glance at the runner. It's more important to see whether this is a HR (what's a BRD?) than to see whether BR missed 1B by .025 inches.

3. Angle over distance: PU needs to move faster away from HP and at an angle to the play. For this one, I'd move in the direction of where F6 usually plays (or maybe even closer to 3B) and get as far into the infield as I could. If it's such a hard shot, increase the angle once you see where it's going.

I'm with Oz, I usually pre-game (as PU) with my partner that I will take fly balls with no one on unless it looks to be a trouble catch (coming in or going out). I tell my partner that if I see him turn his back to go out, I will automatically take the BR. This would be a classic case of BU having a better angle from A and should be going out for an over-the-shoulder catch.

That said, we don't all get to work with partners who are up on, or have the energy for, propery mechanics. So, as mentioned above, never take an angle that mimics the flight of the ball. Bust your butt out to, but away from, the mound so you can have a better chance of getting a good look at this kind of play.

When I came out I didn't head towards the mound. I headed toward F6 direction but I just ended up having a bad angle to it I think. I didn't have time to get the mound area. It was a shot and not a high fly ball with a lot of air time. When all was said and done. I was making the B-Rd call about mid way down the 3rd base line and probably 10-15 feet into fair terriotory. I just think I was in a bad position there to make a decesion. And I agree with the BU having eyes on the ball also, but not going out, it wasn't a RF to the line call.

When I work as a BU I always watch the ball and then catch a tag of the base, even though it's not my call, it just helps. My partner ran to the middle as fast as he could and then turned and stopped and faced first base waiting for the tag. My technique is that I move into the working position while watching the play and the runner, my "watch of the tag" at first is a look over my left shoulder/slight torso turn to the bag and then depending on the play a continuation onto second.

eagle 12, what is a B-Rd?

Book Rule Double (aka Ground Rule Double)