MiLB: New U1 mechanic?

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Here is a handy link to Northwest Umpire Association. Here you can take a long, extensive PBUC quiz series (complete with answers). Very interesting (as Arte Johnson used to say).
Amateur

Excellent link Steve.

[jkumpire]

Men,

If I am not mistaken, and someone like Tee could back me up here, at one time in the 1970's, the "at 'em" philosophy was how people were taught to cover plays at 1B. Instead of the 90 deg. angle, you went at the player making the play. What you are describing sounds exactly like the "at 'em" mechanic is back in vogue.

Personally, I prefer the older mechanic, and I disagree with Chris about head movement, but to me, it is just one of those things that changes over the years. In 20 years, we will probably go back to the old 90 deg. angle on the play.

I really do not like the "at 'em" mechanic, at least for the levels most of us work at. AA professional baseball and up has a different player skill set than even DI College baseball. How many bad throws do they get a game? How many more wackers will they get at a game than we do?

And at the speed of the professional game, in a 3 man, U1 probably has to carry the BR to 2B on a lot of overthrows, so every step is precious for them. I would want to get as big a jump to 2B as I could in that situation too.

But for most of us, we have too many things going on at 1B to sacrifice our angle for more distance to 2B.

Am I off base here with these comments?

[Rich]

Originally Posted by jkumpire

Men,

If I am not mistaken, and someone like Tee could back me up here, at one time in the 1970's, the "at 'em" philosophy was how people were taught to cover plays at 1B. Instead of the 90 deg. angle, you went at the player making the play. What you are describing sounds exactly like the "at 'em" mechanic is back in vogue.

Personally, I prefer the older mechanic, and I disagree with Chris about head movement, but to me, it is just one of those things that changes over the years. In 20 years, we will probably go back to the old 90 deg. angle on the play.

I really do not like the "at 'em" mechanic, at least for the levels most of us work at. AA professional baseball and up has a different player skill set than even DI College baseball. How many bad throws do they get a game? How many more wackers will they get at a game than we do?

And at the speed of the professional game, in a 3 man, U1 probably has to carry the BR to 2B on a lot of overthrows, so every step is precious for them. I would want to get as big a jump to 2B as I could in that situation too.

But for most of us, we have too many things going on at 1B to sacrifice our angle for more distance to 2B.

Am I off base here with these comments?

Except that U3 will already be in the middle or will be coming to second on the infield grounder, so U1 will never have the BR into second on an infield grounder.