Positioning
 

:confused:Wow - great call and patience. It seems he was already anticipating this as he viewed the scene unfolding in his mind looking down the third base line. My question, as I try to improve on mechanics and angles, is this, why was he on the first base side vs third base base? It seems if he was on third base side he may not have had a clear view of the slide and missed tag. What is the proper protocol for positioning at the plate or does it depend on the play? Thanks in advance!

swipe tags...third base line extended...

It has to do with working the point of the plate, and then reading the play and swinging left or right to find the window that will allow you to best see the tag applied. If you can read the PBUC blue book or the CCA on the subject it would help you.

It takes a lot of skill to swing the correct way to read the play...at least for me it took me a while to be confident taking a play third base line extended versus 1BL extended...in the Nelson play, the throw was coming from right so somebody less experienced might line up w/ the throw and be 1BL extended and could've possibly missed the touch by the first runner...unfortunately it's not an exact science...seems as though there's a bit more art to reading those plays than science...others may disagree

Nope you are right, there is a lot of art to it, and the only way to get it right most of the time is to have a lot of practice at using it. It is a feeling thing and insticts that helps you find that window.

As far as positioning goes, this was a no brainer! Two runners coming in like this -- you know there is going to be a tag, so you have to go 3BLE!

Actually you do need a brain, beacuse the exact location to setup is some where between 3rd BLE and the 1st BL. It depends on how wide the slide is and where the catcher is setup and where the ball is coming from center fiedl tothe dugout. Now for a qutoe of the week candidate: "These types of plays are like Sex! They take a lot of practice to get good at!" :)

What is the big deal?? Two plays and the ump has to stay with the play and adjust his angle. Jeff seemed a bit flustered as he made the call on the second runner first.

I am guessing that he made the out call first on purpose. He pointed at each one so everybody in the stadium knew his call on both runners. I don't think he seemed flustered at all...

He made the most critical call first. His "fluster," as you call it, was his making sure Molina still had the ball, and selling the call. I saw no such fluster and have seen the play from every possible angle. He came back to call Gonzales safe and emphatically point at the plate to indicate that he had it when he went by originally. Great timing, proper sequence, excellent management of a hostile Benji Molina.

Headley knew he was out, but immediately pointed at Gonzales. After the call, both players nodded their head and I saw Gonzales mouthing the words, "good call."

You're right, this technique takes practice. I saw the catcher moving up the 3B line and went to 3BLX twice in my game Monday and got a great angle for the (successful) swipe tag both times. It does work when you do it right.

Do you need Jeff's email to tell him he looked flustered?... Looks like good timing here, but hey how would you have called it?...what would your mechanics been?

No I don't need his email to communicate with Jeff. He would probably laugh with me if I told him that. We have worked out of the same locker rooms way back in the day. He probably will also tell you that he thought he was going to get run over by the second runner.

My comment was based on Jeff possibly being too close to the play. I don't think the two calls were that hard, it just looked hard because he was caught in the middle of the flying bodies.

I had never heard of the sniffer comments but I think the OP didn't need any Vicks nasal inhaler to get fired up over this one.

It might help to stay on the 1st baseline extended just to be on the safe side. Throw from right center field over towards right you could anticipate a swipe tag play and go 3rd baseline extended, but you don't want to get blocked out by the catcher.

Nobody said it was a big deal. It was just an example of a really good call, done properly. It was meant to serve as a model to other umpires. I've made many similarly great calls over my long career umpiring, but mine are unfortunately not available on video as tutorials. Like I said, he made the call in the proper sequence and with purpose, not out of being flustered, or being too close to the play, which he was not, as that is nearly impossible on tag plays.