Asking for Help

[kylejt]

The classic three are, dropped ball, missed tag and pulled foot. If you're working two man, there are situations where you have the worst view on the field, but you still own the call. If you've ever worked the small field, and got backed up by a ground ball to short, and had to make that call at first, you know what I'm talking about. F3's foot could be 6" off the bag, and you have no way of telling. None.

Really, really sharp umpires, with similar partners, will get help BEFORE the call it. "Mike! Was he on the bag!?" That's rare, and I'm lucky enough to work with a few guys like this. But if I'm hung out in deep C, and a manager asks me to get help on the pulled foot, a missed swipe tag, of course I'll ask PU for info. That's just common sense.

The danger in asking for help on calls is that managers will expect you to ask for help on rountine bangers. That's not going to happen.

I had a manager last night, away from the field, ask me why one of my umpires wouldn't get help on call like I described above. So I asked him what he asked the umpire. He just said to him "Can you get help on that?", and my 12 year old BU said no, it was his call to make. I told the manager that next time he should say "I think the first baseman pulled his foot, can you ask the PU for help?". The key is what the manager requests of you. They've got to be specific in their request. That's what I've taught my kids.