Marty Foster's call at 3rd base today

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Spoken like a true coach.

One thing many of you fail to grasp is that the coach can be on either side of the argument. It could be my runner. It could be my fielder. I have to consider what call should be made from both perspectives. And my choice is call it properly.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

One thing many of you fail to grasp is that the coach can be on either side of the argument. It could be my runner. It could be my fielder. I have to consider what call should be made from both perspectives. And my choice is call it properly.

And properly, since Alexander Cartwright's day, has been to call the runner out.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

And properly, since Alexander Cartwright's day, has been to call the runner out.

OK, then let me rephrase it.

Not properly. Conveniently maybe, but not properly.

This isn't horseshoes or hand grenades. Close enough doesn't count.

The rule says you have to tag the runner before he touches the base. Require it and call it.

As pointed out by the crew chief at the game - the old days are gone - require the tag.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

As pointed out by the crew chief at the game - the old days are gone - require the tag.

I wonder if he changed his position on throwing at batters on steroids heads as well.

Rich, that might be true in your neck of the woods, but the coaches here have always wanted that call to go to the defense, and nobody argues the call. It's the way it's always been done. Why fix something that ain't broken? The coaches want that call on defense, so they aren't going to say anything when it doesn't go their way on offense.

[NFump]

Call in favor = "Good call, blue" and wipe brow, talk about how ump blew call with other coaches later; Call against = come out and argue, say call it "properly", "Get it right" or "Ask for help".

[Rich]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I wonder if he changed his position on throwing at batters on steroids heads as well.

Rich, that might be true in your neck of the woods, but the coaches here have always wanted that call to go to the defense, and nobody argues the call. It's the way it's always been done. Why fix something that ain't broken? The coaches want that call on defense, so they aren't going to say anything when it doesn't go their way on offense.

Really?

It's more like they want it their way on both offense and defense. And the post above saying how they act happy on the field and then mock the umpire for missing the actual call in the dugout is spot on.

I've watched coaches from opposing teams come up to a coach who had a run-in with an umpire laugh and chuckle about it and pretty much show that when it comes to umpires they're closer to being on the same team than their uniforms would indicate. A reminder that most coaches are, in the end, of the genus rattus maximus.

[socalblue1]

Originally Posted by RichMSN

Really?

It's more like they want it their way on both offense and defense. And the post above saying how they act happy on the field and then mock the umpire for missing the actual call in the dugout is spot on.

I've watched coaches from opposing teams come up to a coach who had a run-in with an umpire laugh and chuckle about it and pretty much show that when it comes to umpires they're closer to being on the same team than their uniforms would indicate. A reminder that most coaches are, in the end, of the genus rattus maximus.

So Girardi would prefer his $20m a year F6 to get hurt for no reason? The whole concept of the ball was there & tag close enough is injury reduction. Otherwise we have F5 blocking the bag & slapping the tag down on the hands or in the face. Same with the defense - no spikes to the hands/arms or face, collision reduction, etc.

Watching the video it's clear F5 put the glove down & gave Jeter the choice of how he wanted to be tagged. Granted Jeter moved his hand around the glove but notice F5 didn't slap the tag on when he did - that's big boy ball. Wait till the next time a Yankee runner is in that position - any bets the tag will go down, perhaps a bit firmly?

[SanDiegoSteve]

Yeah, I hope every time Jeter slides into a base that the fielder slaps him silly on his head!

[Durham]

It is easier for the powers that be to defend the right call that the expected one. There are those that would argue that Eric Gregg was right in calling a wide zone, because the looked like strikes from the dugout and everyone expected them to be so.

When working TV games work hard to get them right.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Rich, that might be true in your neck of the woods, but the coaches here have always wanted that call to go to the defense, and nobody argues the call. It's the way it's always been done. Why fix something that ain't broken? The coaches want that call on defense, so they aren't going to say anything when it doesn't go their way on offense.

I'll bet you a bunch that the reason they want the call to go that way is because the umpires have always called it that way - not because they think it's right. They want the expected call only because they've been taught to expect it.

Now that replay is showing the "real" situation you're stuck. Now they know what the call should have been.

Dug your own grave.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

I'll bet you a bunch that the reason they want the call to go that way is because the umpires have always called it that way - not because they think it's right. They want the expected call only because they've been taught to expect it.

Yeah, I've actually had long-time, well respected varsity coaches come out and argue with me when I called a runner safe in such situations. They would, to a man, tell me in no uncertain terms that they were paying me to make that call, and what the hell would ever make me call that runner safe, etc. After a few of those, I decided early in my career to just call the runner out like I had been taught, and not insist on a tag when the ball beats the runner by a large margin.

[RogersUmp]

It's not unlike the sweeping in-the-vacinity touch of 2B on a DP. No one ever argues that one because it's always expected to be called a DP.

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Yeah, I've actually had long-time, well respected varsity coaches come out and argue with me when I called a runner safe in such situations. They would, to a man, tell me in no uncertain terms that they were paying me to make that call, and what the hell would ever make me call that runner safe, etc. After a few of those, I decided early in my career to just call the runner out like I had been taught, and not insist on a tag when the ball beats the runner by a large margin.

Steve:

I'm wondering how this quote does not contradict your statements in other threads where you accused others of looking for outs when there were none there so they could get home quicker.

Could you clarify how these two seemingly opposite viewpoints coincide?

Thanks!