Out or ?

[Rich Coyle]

We are umpires, not coaches. It is not our job to do any more than to officiate the game. If we signal "safe" on one walk and not on the next, we have taken the onus to observe base runners off of the defense.

While I regularly communicate with hand signals with my partner and occasionally verbally, I still subscribe to the "invisible" umpire school of thought -- do not take on any more responsibility thatn you have to.