What Should I Have Called?

[ozzy6900]

Originally Posted by umpire99

This might be a HTBT play, but I was calling a FED game last night. F1 throws a wild pitch that bounds toward the third base side on deck circle with a right handed batter at the plate. As the catcher is going after the ball, I tell the hitter to get out of the way. He exits the box toward third base. The catcher throws the ball and hits the batter in the helmet and the ball gets away. What should have been called?

Probably nothing because it sounds like the batter was doing what you told him to do. So if anything, the call would be "umpire stupidity".

You are the arbiter, not a coach or a fellow player. Never tell a player to "move" during a play. If they get in the way, so be it.... make the call. By you telling the batter to move, you probably cause him to move into the play. Just do your job and stop coaching.