Asking for Help

[constable]

Originally Posted by UmpJM (nee CoachJM)

Spence,

Good question.

That's why I put all the "ands" in. Most of the time a coach asks me if I would get help, I just tell him, "No, Bob, I saw everything I needed to."

But every now and then you get straightlined or your vision gets obstructed and you make a call. You can tell by the reaction of the team that benefited that you DID "kick it". Your partner is trying to make eye contact and keeps taking his hat off. The coach asks for time, and politely and without insulting you asks if you would mind checking with your partner.

Sometimes it's the right thing to do.

Oh, and on a check swing appeal request, I ALWAYS go to my partner.

JM

That's good because according to ORB, you have too.

Rule 9.02(c) Comment: The manager or the catcher may request the plate umpire to ask his partner
for help on a half swing when the plate umpire calls the pitch a ball, but not when the pitch is called a
strike. The manager may not complain that the umpire made an improper call, but only that he did not
ask his partner for help. Field umpires must be alerted to the request from the plate umpire and quickly
respond. Managers may not protest the call of a ball or strike on the pretense they are asking for
information about a half swing.
Appeals on a half swing may be made only on the call of ball and when asked to appeal, the home
plate umpire must refer to a base umpire for his judgment on the half swing. Should the base umpire call
the pitch a strike, the strike call shall prevail.