Indecisive or Good Umpiring

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by Kevin Finnerty

You'd make an enemy out of quite a few of the partners I've had going out that often and making them jog all the way to second.

But, I'm with you. I like to get it right. But I do keep a personal log of all the ones that didn't end up warranting my going out. (My score's pretty good.)

Agreed. Don't go out unless there is a possible catch/no catch or fair/foul. All that other stuff can be handled by the PU, or after the play you can be sent out to look at it.

There are few more embarrassing sensations than turning and going out and realizing that it was unecessary, making the man with the gear do more running.

[johnnyg08]

Yeah, going out from A on that type of ball isn't going help much...however, he's still glancing at the B/R for touch and F3 for OBS...while it's PU's call, to have another set of eyes on the ball on a weird field certainly isn't hurting them IMO

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Agreed. Don't go out unless there is a possible catch/no catch or fair/foul.

Or the ball threatens the fence, or there are multiple fielders converging.

All that said, as PU I get to (about) the same spot to rule on a ball to right as I do to take BR around first, so it doesn't rellay matter much to me.

And, it's better to be out, wishing you were in, than in, wishing you were out.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Or the ball threatens the fence, or there are multiple fielders converging.

Both of these fall under catch/no catch situations. A long fly ball that may fly or bounce over, go out. Two fielders converging on the ball, go out.

If the ball is merely rolling towards the fence, I don't see the point in going out, unless there is some opening in the fence that was discussed in the ground rules, and even then the BU isn't normally going to need to see the results immediately. He can be sent out to look at it if the fielder holds up his arms.

What I'm talking about are umpires who are not good judges of trouble situations, and just go out willy-nilly on routine cans of corn to F9.

[TussAgee11]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

Agreed. Don't go out unless there is a possible catch/no catch or fair/foul. All that other stuff can be handled by the PU, or after the play you can be sent out to look at it.

There are few more embarrassing sensations than turning and going out and realizing that it was unecessary, making the man with the gear do more running.

I think it shows good hustle by both umpires. Obviously you aren't going to go out unless there is a catch/no catch fair/foul boundary decision to be made... those are about the only calls that can occur in the outfield.

Sometimes balls end up not being trouble that BU reads as trouble. I've gone out and had fielders make running catches in the gap. That is potential trouble in my mind, and even though we didn't end up with a "call" we were about 3 feet away from having one. And I ain't telling 3 feet when I take my read step, so I'll be headed out on plays that aren't routine from the get-go.