Marty Foster's call at 3rd base today

[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.