Base Umpire Warning Pitcher

[Umpmazza]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

Rich I agree but in a way this could be similar to the following:

R2 BU in "C"

Ground ball to F6. R2 clearly interferes (by clearly interferes I mean a TEXTBOOK interference call) with F6 in his attempt to field a batted ball.

Your partner the BU is "right there" looking at the same thing as you the PU but gives no call.

We all know any umpire can call interference but in general on play's at the bases we defer to our partner's judgement, however, this is a TEXTBOOK interference call.

Aren't you as the PU going to call it?

I think the answer is yes which brings me back to this OP.

Let's assume F1 for the losing team had outstanding control all game long, even though he was on the losing side of the score (there could have been a variety of reasons). When he missed he missed by inches.

Now he Plunks someone. At this point one can assume that the ENTIRE park KNOWS what's going on and yet your partner the PU says NOTHING.

IMO, this crew is now "asking for it" since NO-ONE took control and should a brawl develop IMO the ENTIRE crew now looks bad not just the PU.

Therefore, in what I call a TEXTBOOK Plunk by F1 wouldn't you as BU now say something to avoid what is most likely to transpire next if your partner the PU says nothing.

Pete Booth

IN this play Pete... I would call time and go and talk to my partner and ask him if maybe he saw? anything?....and then I might give him my advice/ ruling on the play. But i really think that in this type of play the most important thing id to get the call right.

I had a college showcase tourny this year, Championship game Im PU and we are in 3 man. NFHS rules. We had a R1 and 1 out. ground ball to F4 who threw to F6.. R1 made no attempt to move away from the play, . or slide, made contact with F6's arm on the throw to 1st so we had FPSR right?.. well U3 who was standing in the "C" position saw the hole play and called nothing. I as PU was coming up 1st baseline to cover any type of pulled foot swipe tag kept running and started to talk to U1 about the play and we both had FPSR. So we had said well" we can't make the call for him as he needs to come to us and talk to us about the play. about 30 sec later he see's us standing there and comes over to talk to us, and ask " Did i miss something?" So we told him our answers and what we would call, but he had to make the call at 2nd.

[Rcichon]

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

Rich I agree but in a way this could be similar to the following:

.........clipped

Aren't you as the PU going to call it?

Yes, and have done so.

Originally Posted by PeteBooth

...clipped...I think the answer is yes which brings me back to this OP.

Let's assume F1 for the losing team had outstanding control all game long, even though he was on the losing side of the score (there could have been a variety of reasons). When he missed he missed by inches.

Now he Plunks someone. At this point one can assume that the ENTIRE park KNOWS what's going on and yet your partner the PU says NOTHING.

IMO, this crew is now "asking for it" since NO-ONE took control and should a brawl develop IMO the ENTIRE crew now looks bad not just the PU.

Therefore, in what I call a TEXTBOOK Plunk by F1 wouldn't you as BU now say something to avoid what is most likely to transpire next if your partner the PU says nothing.

Pete Booth

I'm not poaching his call unless he's an inexperienced Official (whom do not get too many Tournament Games around here). I will visit him and ask about the 'Textbook Plunk by F1' and subsequent observations just to raise awareness.

To be fair to your point, I have had calls poached as BU & PU and with the exception of a brain burp on my part, did not like the feeling. With that brain fart, I was appreciative my partner had been more observant than I and had caught the call.

FWIW

[ozzy6900]

I understand what Pete Booth is saying here. F1 has great control, then a taunt, a HR, a successful suicide or squeeze, then F1 plunks B1. But there are still things that have to be considered here.

Was the pitch a fastball or an errant breaking ball? As many professional pitchers have stated, "If I'm going to intentionally nail someone, he is getting my fastball, right in the ribs!". It is nearly impossible to control a breaking ball enough to drill a batter (but I am sure there are those who will argue this point). Now in most cases, the BU is not looking at the pitch as closely as the PU is (or should be). Last of all, the four times in my career that I dumped a pitcher, I was 98% sure that he was looking at the batter and not his target (which is F2). This the BU cannot see, and I don't care how good you think you are, a BU cannot tell were F1 is throwing the ball! Only the PU can see this.

So I say that even if the situation is right, and F1 does the deed, it is the PU's job to take care of this problem. The BU has to back up the PU and help keep order. I do not agree with the BU calling this. If you are working with a rookie at the plate, I still do not agree. You will have a $hithouse on your hands but that is what you get paid for.

Now before you start arguing about the "rookie PU", tell me, would you jump in if he calls a fastball down the center of the plate, belt high a ball? Would you jump in if he calls the slider off the plate a strike? Some calls just belong to the PU, and IMO, this is one of them!

[Emperor Ump]

This would be a tough situation to make the call as a BU. But if you have a game where your partner is clueless and you feel that by not jumping in things could get worse, you should bite the bullet and do it. This is just a no win situation.

[PeteBooth]

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Always Wright

Sure enough, bottom of the 6th, a batter from the winning team gets plunked. Nobody seemed to have a problem with that, and I really didn't either - old school baseball. However, since the home team's pitcher threw very hard and most of the batters seemed overmatched, I thought my PU would warn both teams - in effect protecting the losing team.

I agree with the others but what you can do as BU is

get the attention of your partner as the kid is going to first base. In other words hopefully by simple eye contact the PU is now alert to what is going on and "can take care of things"

Also, I know as BU we should head to right field after the inning but this might be a good time to have a little chat with the PU between innings because as you say a "brawl" is just waiting to happen.

Pete Booth