Did I handle this correctly?

[w_sohl]

Working with a first year guy. He isn't lazy but looks it with his signals. Never looks confident. Anyway, runner gets in a pickle between 2nd and third. Going back into second he obviously leaves his path to avoid the tag, obvious to me anyway. My partner on the bases calls him safe. I see the play as I am at third to help with the run down if it should end up at third so I have a pretty good look at it. Offended coach initially wants to talk to me about it. I told him to go talk to my partner, hoping he would come to me so I could give him info that I feel he needs to change his call. He doesn't come to me for help so I let him live/die with the call.

Should I have gone and helped on such a blatently incoorect call without him asking for my help. It was bad guys, real bad.

Between innings coach asks me for my opinion. What he really wants to hear is me tell him my partner blew it. I just respond with, "I'm not saying he was right or wrong, but unless he comes to me for help I have nothing for him." So he asks, "If it is 100% wrong and I know he blew am I going to support him?" My response, "Absolutely, until he asks for my help, but I am never changing my partners call!"

This partner is so green, that there ws noone on base and we had a play at first and he actually turned to me and pointed to me to make a call from my trailing position after about 10 seconds had passed and everyone was yelling for a call. I just told him it was his call. He guessed correctly fortunately.

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

Working with a first year guy. He isn't lazy but looks it with his signals. Never looks confident. Anyway, runner gets in a pickle between 2nd and third.

It's properly called a rundown.

Going back into second he obviously leaves his path to avoid the tag, obvious to me anyway.

What made it obvious to you?

My partner on the bases calls him safe. I see the play as I am at third to help with the run down if it should end up at third so I have a pretty good look at it. Offended coach initially wants to talk to me about it. I told him to go talk to my partner, hoping he would come to me so I could give him info that I feel he needs to change his call. He doesn't come to me for help so I let him live/die with the call.

Should I have gone and helped on such a blatently incoorect call without him asking for my help. It was bad guys, real bad.

No.

Between innings coach asks me for my opinion. What he really wants to hear is me tell him my partner blew it. I just respond with, "I'm not saying he was right or wrong, but unless he comes to me for help I have nothing for him." So he asks, "If it is 100% wrong and I know he blew am I going to support him?" My response, "Absolutely, until he asks for my help, but I am never changing my partners call!"

"Coach, it was his call, and he had the best look at it." End of conversation.

This partner is so green, that there ws noone on base and we had a play at first and he actually turned to me and pointed to me to make a call from my trailing position after about 10 seconds had passed and everyone was yelling for a call. I just told him it was his call. He guessed correctly fortunately.

I'm curious - what level was this game?

[BK47]

W,

You did the right thing in not getting involved. Sounds like he was confident in his call if he didnt go to you for your opinion. One thing I have learned in the few years that I have been doing this, is in the pregame with my partner we discuss things like this. If either one of us has anything for the other we just simply take off our hat and without drawing attention to ourselves we let our partner know we have something if he wants it. That way when the coach came out to talk to your BU he could have seen your hat off and maybe decide to talk to you and find out what you had, then he could have made his final decission.

As for the other play, again something like that is a pregame discussion. I have learned that with no one on base, a ground ball in the infield, BU comes in and takes his position to make the call at first. PU trailing the BR and watching for lane violation, pulled foot and/or swipe tag. In that instance being the PU had he come to me with that I would have said to him "No pulled foot, he had the bag" and let the BU figure it out from there.

Hope these tips help, I know I have learned some things from reading these posts. Thank you guys.

[Tim C]

Dash, in my neck of the woods, we have called it a "pickle" for decades.

T

[dash_riprock]

Originally Posted by Tim C

Dash, in my neck of the woods, we have called it a "pickle" for decades.

T

Are you saying I should lighten up a little? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?

Switching to decaf.

[DG]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

It's properly called a rundown.

A pickle is a well understood term for a rundown around here.

[w_sohl]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

What made it obvious to you?

Trust me it was obvious to everyone but my partner. The kid didn't contort himself to avoid the tag. He made a new path to the bag. He couldn't have been more out of the base path.

Freshman ball BTW.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by dash_riprock

Are you saying I should lighten up a little? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING?

Switching to decaf.

1. To most of us over 55, "pickle" is a well known term.
2. Decaf is for people who don't like coffee, but like to pee.

[Rich Ives]

"Pickle' is rarely used in my area.

The kids use "hot box" a lot.

[Rich Ives]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

Trust me it was obvious to everyone but my partner. The kid didn't contort himself to avoid the tag. He made a new path to the bag. He couldn't have been more out of the base path.

Freshman ball BTW.

Maybe it was really obvious, but just because you saw him do something more than a contortion doesn't necessarily mean he violated the rule. You can step to the side - maybe even two smaller steps, and still be in the 3' limit.

You used "his basepath" once and "the basepath" another time. Are you clear on the difference?

[Steven Tyler]

A person without much experience or knowledge of the game will likely have brain farts such as the ones you mentioned. After the game in the parking lot, explain to him his errors. He could be very receptive. If not you tried. Hopefully, he will learn from his mistakes.

Coaches come out often to get an explaination. Just the nature of the game for decades. Unless he does something to get ejected, I wouldn't worry about it one bit. You told the coach the truth. I wouldn't supply him with anymore information than necessary.

Remember, experience can come in the form of a mistake a person won't make again.

[GA Umpire]

Originally Posted by w_sohl

This partner is so green, that there ws noone on base and we had a play at first and he actually turned to me and pointed to me to make a call from my trailing position after about 10 seconds had passed and everyone was yelling for a call. I just told him it was his call. He guessed correctly fortunately.

Reminds me of this every time I hear of it happening.

YouTube - Yes, Dear: Jimmy the umpire.

[w_sohl]

Originally Posted by GA Umpire

Reminds me of this every time I hear of it happening.

YouTube - Yes, Dear: Jimmy the umpire.

That was exactly what my partner did...

[w_sohl]

Originally Posted by Rich Ives

Maybe it was really obvious, but just because you saw him do something more than a contortion doesn't necessarily mean he violated the rule. You can step to the side - maybe even two smaller steps, and still be in the 3' limit.

You used "his basepath" once and "the basepath" another time. Are you clear on the difference?

The base path: a line directly between the bases

His base path: established once a play is being made on a runner and is a direct line to the base which the runner is attempting to acquire.

Trust me, it wasn't legal.