Marty Foster's call at 3rd base today

[insatty]

Last night, Angels at Mets, Mets F5 catches liner and tosses to F6 to double up R2. Slow mo shows R2 out by 12 inches, but in real time much closer. Hirschbeck calls R2 safe, who later scores.

Had Hirschbeck made the expected call instead of totally relying on what he saw, he would have been saved from a humiliating mistake.

Seeing isn't always believing, especially for us poor slobs working two- or three-man games. The best angle we develop isn't always the best angle under the unique circumstances of the bang-bang play. In my experience and my observation, making the expected call and giving the benefit of the doubt to the team that earned the call will save our bacons 90% of the time.

Perception is reality. Jeter was out.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by insatty

Perception is reality. Jeter was out.

I'm going to change the way I umpire. And when a guy is safe, even though the throw appeared to have beaten him, even though 90 percent of the time the throw beats him, he's out, but I see that he's safe like Jeter was, I'm going to call him out anyway. And when he jumps up and disputes the missed call, I'm going to say, "See all those people over there? Well, from over there, a play like yours is generally perceived as an out ... so I called you out."

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

I'm going to change the way I umpire. And when a guy is safe, even though the throw appeared to have beaten him, even though 90 percent of the time the throw beats him, he's out, but I see that he's safe like Jeter was, I'm going to call him out anyway. And when he jumps up and disputes the missed call, I'm going to say, "See all those people over there? Well, from over there, a play like yours is generally perceived as an out ... so I called you out."

But that's the problem...you shouldn't explain your call. Foster shouldn't have explained his call. He could have said, "Shut up, you get the same call on defense," and that would have been it.

I don't care if the runner slides head first, feet first, or as$ first, he's out if the tag has been waiting on the ground for him. In any other case, if he slides around the tag, he's safe. Not if the ball has been waiting for his arrival. That's a different situation than a daring, exciting hook slide on a close play.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

But that's the problem...you shouldn't explain your call. Foster shouldn't have explained his call. He could have said, "Shut up, you get the same call on defense," and that would have been it.

I don't care if the runner slides head first, feet first, or as$ first, he's out if the tag has been waiting on the ground for him. In any other case, if he slides around the tag, he's safe. Not if the ball has been waiting for his arrival. That's a different situation than a daring, exciting hook slide on a close play.

I was working a 18-U wood bat summer Nationals game. I'm on the plate with a Kenny Lofton type guy as R1, and there's a sinking liner to right that drops. I fly to third, because I read that Lofton's coming (he read the liner early and took off). The right fielder throws a beam to third a little on the infield side. The third baseman catches the throw and lays the tag down on the inside corner of the bag 12 feet before R1 arrived. R1 does a headfirst slide, and just as he arrives, he shoots his right hand out toward the outside corner of the bag and the tag missed him from the angle that I busted my a$$ to get. SAFE!

I don't have the ability to make a one-man-game style call when I'm right on top of something. And when you're right on it and you have the angle, it matters a whole lot less what the perception is.

Marty Foster makes calls his way; I try to get it right based on anticipation, hustle, proper choice of angle, a steady set, a clear look, and a fair judgment. If I do it that way, I can do it the same way 100 percent of the time and be correct with my call a higher percentage of the time than the Marty Fosters of the world.

[SanDiegoSteve]

F5 should have dropped his knee in front of the base. Different type of play. F5 had plenty of time to block that bag. Once it was clear that the runner wasn't just going to give himself up, screw being nice...knock the runner out with the tag.

In Jeter's case, F5 was just being courteous to Jeter. Next time, maybe not so.

[Kevin Finnerty]

Playing the game properly is another subject.

If I am the third baseman and the guy slides headfirst, we have an out and an ailing baserunner.

The old knee-in-the-face trick.

[cc6]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

Playing the game properly is another subject.

If I am the third baseman and the guy slides headfirst, we have an out and an ailing baserunner.

The old knee-in-the-face trick.

Only if it's someone like Jeter should he drop the knee. Jeter was out because the umpire called him out. I agree with SDS that the umpire shouldn't have explained the call.