Shoulda stopped your post right there. The 'doesn't feel right', 'make it fair', 'work it all out' mentality will dig you a hole faster than you can blink, and a rat will pin you down because you then can't support your emotional decision with a ruleset. Let the fans worry about 'doesn't seem right'..that's their problem.

UI is fully covered in the book, this is clearly not such a case, rule and move on. If your partner learns from this error, then it was not wasted time.

If you rule UI in this matter, you have absolutely no rule support to convince the protest committee that you ruling shuld be upheld.

Live with the grief, tell the partner in question after the game that he's in over his head and advise the assignor that you are not going to work with him ever again.

Guys I agree, it is NOT umpire interference. I was just a spectator at the game and thankful that I was not one of the two (2), yes two BU's in this game because I don't know which I would want to do first, beat the PU over the head with a bat or climb under a rock and hide from everybody. I agree that the PU in this situation has to eat a spread load of horse manure for screwing the pooch. It is just another example of untrained and unregistered officials screwing everything up and giving real sports officials a bad name. I think we can all agree on that.

MTD, Sr.