Interesting Play
 

Not a question here, just something I find kind of humorous and wanted to share.

Yesterday while doing a 13 travel tourney had an odd bizarre play. Not so much "daddy ball" play but kids just not knowing what to do.

I'm in the field in the "C". One out runners on first and second. Batter hits a soft, barely head high liner to second baseman, he cant handle the ball and it drops. The runners are frozen, not moving. Second baseman finally picks up the ball and throws to shortstop who is covering second. I got an out. The runner on second looks at me in wonderment while everyone is telling the shortstop to touch the kid who is still on second base for another out. I just stand there looking at them wondering what is going to happen next. I look over to first to see what is happening there, the kid who was on first heads back to the dugout while the batter runner is now on first. The runner on second now decides he was out and steps off second towards the dugout (their dugout was first base side) and shortstop quickly tags him out. I got out number three. Batter runner decides now he is going to head to second and they start to tag him but I hold up my hand to them and say thats three outs.

As I leave my post and head to the outfield the third base coach asks U1 what happened. I see the discussion going on so I trot back to talk to the coach. Explain to him what I had and he was like in bewilderment of the play but understood the whole thing. I told him that had the runner stayed on second base they would still be batting but he stepped off and shortstop saw that and tagged him for out number 3.

You umpired in a 13U tournament where they used THREE (3)!!, :eek:, UMPIRES!!!??? per game?

MTD, Sr.

No, he's using U1 to refer to PU.

I usually try to communicate better who is out, e.g., "runner from first is out!" in order to prevent the defense getting a double play after an error.

Mark, no there were only two of us. The third base coach went to U1 (Plate Umpire) to talk to him initially. When I saw that I decided to run back in and explain the play to the HC.

Byron, good point. However I hope to think that the coaches are smart enough to tell their players to stay on base if the players themselves arent smart enough. I mean come on this is "Daddy Ball" and we all know that the Mommies and Daddies know more than us.

And just to try to give the runner at second some sort of chance to stay there I put up my hand (a stop sign hand) and pointed to the bag to try to communicate to him to stay put. But again, thats not my job.

I am so use to basketball: R, U1, and U2, :D.

MTD, Sr.

Now I'm confused......
 

So, the U1 does the plate in basketball? :p

U1 is someone else

You are giving coaches at that level WAY too much credit.

Huh? I had to rub my eyes after reading this because I couldn't believe what they were seeing. You actually were trying to help the runner by giving him signals and coaching during a tournament?

First off, these kids are 13, and by now should have the fundamentals of the game down pat. Secondly, you are right, it's NOT our job, but in fact is not to be done at all.

I was watching a PRO game about 5 years ago and an almost identical play happened:

The best I can remember was 1st and 2nd loaded, It is a hit and run and IF happens. R1 and R2 are standing on 2nd at the call. U2 called the IF by saying "OUT".

I listening to the announcer as everyone is looking at the two runners on 2nd base F4 who caught the ball, throws it to F6. F6 goes over and tags both runners. U2 called "OUT", he did not point very well from what I could see. R1 steps off the bag and F6 tags him again. U2 calls "OUT". the teams switch. After the game, one of the reports asked "R1" why he stepped off the base and the player stated "the UMP call "out" and I thought he was talking about me."

R1 and R2 together were making more than 5 mil for that year.

This only goes to show you that even the "big" boys make silly mistakes.:D

R1 was the one who was out. If they changed sides there was either already 1 out when the play started or someone (not the runner) messed up big time.

Bad mechanics, but ok.

R1 is out twice? Huh? Is that a typo or a bad ump call? .
That's because he WAS.

Edit to add: Upon seeing a later post, I realized I've probably misunderstood what you meant. You are calling the runner from first R1, the runner from 2nd R2. I'm more used to the lead runner being R1 - a product of my working 80% softball, 20% baseball. My bad. Instead of deleting my post, I leave it here appending my apology! Sorry!

[QUOTE]If the discussion between the PU and coach was about the play that just happened, then the PU should have simply said "Skip you can talk to him meaning you". No discussion about the play should transpire between the PU and Coach since you were the one who made the calls. That's not throwing you under the bus but observing umpire protocol.

You should NOT have to trot back in and find out that the coach was talking to the PU about what transpired and THEN you explain what happened.

Something IMO, you need to clarify with your partner.

Pete Booth

[QUOTE=PeteBooth;679692]Pete - can you run on over to the other thread and tell the Professional Umpire Bababooey the same thing?

Since the IF was called, the trailing runner was actually out since R1 and R2 were tagged while standing on 2nd base. The lead runner was the one to step off and get tagged again for the third out.