Umpire overrules judgment call

[UES-2]

I work college ball in So Cal and here is my 2 cents:

For the most part, we want to get the call right. That said. I understand why Steve did not want to get help. He was on top of the play. His partner is 90' away. However, in 2 man, sometime our eyes play tricks with us on plays @ 3rd. The best place, IMO, to make a call @ 3rd is near the coach's box. In 2 man we do not have that luxury. If the runner was tagged off the bag, he might be off the bag on the foul side. A base umpire can sometimes get straight-lined on that "look". Oviously the plate guy had a different "look" because he approached Steve tapping his chest. That was the plate guys 1st mistake. If I am the plate guy and I have info for my partner, I will let him know by my eye contact or body language. However, I WILL NOT approach him. I might take a few steps his way, but that's it. Now it is up to Steve if he wants to get help. If Steve gets help, his partner will tell him what he has. If I was Steve I would of asked " how bad did I miss it? was it close or was he out "bigtime"? If it was close, I would probually stick with my call. If I kicked it bad. For the sake of gettin' it right, I would probually change it. IT IS MY CALL TO CHANGE! Not my partners. Now the other coach will probually get "ran" if I change the call... but that's baseball.

I had this same play happen to me a few years back. Guy slid head first into
3rd......overslid..and was tagged out off the bag foul side. I was straighlined so I had to take a couple of steps in to see the runners' hand NOT on the bag. I called him out. It was 110% the right call. Coach wanted help. I refused..he got run. This stuff happens to us all. That is why we get the $125 to make the hard decisions. In Steve's case.. probually $65 cash on the field tax free. Still in this economy.. not bad for 3 hours work...I HOPE it wasnt more that 3 hours! :-)

On a side note, one of the reasons that the plate guy might have stepped in is because if he works college ball, he might feel that he is a superior umpire and has the come in and save the day. We have all worked on fields with weaker partners and felt we might have to pick up the slack if a sh!thouse arrives. However, we need to sometimes step back and let our partners earn their money. They have to learn the hard way too. I have never seen Steve work so I have no ideas of his skills. This is just an obsevation.