Dropped Third Strike - Check Swing

[MikeStrybel]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

Standard Mechanic: PU waits for coach or catcher to ask, then asks BU.

Advanced Mechanic: PU asks without being asked.

Really Advanced Mechanic: BU responds, even if not asked (but gives PU a beat or two to ask), and then only if it's a strike AND if B can become BR.

In answer to the question posed by another, I was out of the country for 6 years. I worked closely with MLB Asia during that time doing umpire development in several countries. I never saw the BU make a call w/o being appealed to. I understand the concept but can't say I am comfortable calling a strike w/o having my partner prompt my intervention. I also would be a bit concerned if he made the call without me asking for help. A couple guys here have worked with me and know this is not ego being displayed. I have gone for help without coach/catcher prompting for about a decade now. I have no problem asking for assistance in an effort to allow the players to decide the game rather than my missed call. Do any of you make your appeal call aftetr the catcher points to you? It would seem that it could be construed as if you are responding to that rather than your partner.

Does anyone have a video link of NCAA or MLB umpires making such a call without being appealed to? I would love to see it in action.

For what it's worth, while I was gone I ran into a guy who worked one of the recent Olympics baseball series. I was used to calling the "ball" and saying "no, he didn't" as emphasis. He taught me to abandon that mechanic because few things look worse than a PU being assertive in proclaiming the batter did not strike at the pitch on to hear, "yes, he did!" a second after he points down for help. I learned a valuable lesson that day and maybe this mechanic will wind up working its way into my games sooner than not.