Perception or Reality

[jicecone]

I don't quite remember Freud having stated that he umpired Baseball but, thats probably a different Forum.

You can choose what ever words you like to justify your analysis of perception, reality, projection, art, science etc...etc, bottom line is, you are there to make a instantaneous decision of what you saw. Thats reality. And this is what an official should endeavor to base his development on.

I don't call 12-6 knee-high and crossed up pithches strikes unless they look like one. Most of the time they don't but, there have been occasions.

And yes, "needing to impress others" is directly related to how you are perceived and accepted by them. It may be the extreme case of perception that we are discussing here but, it is where one can end up if that is the path they choose.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by jicecone

I don't call 12-6 knee-high and crossed up pithches strikes unless they look like one.

How is this different from the option discussed in th OP.

You don't call a strike that meets the rule book standard because it didn't look like one, and in the OP an umpire may have not calle a runner safe becuase he didn't look safe.

Not taking sides, just noticing some inconsistency.

[jicecone]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

How is this different from the option discussed in th OP.

You don't call a strike that meets the rule book standard because it didn't look like one, and in the OP an umpire may have not calle a runner safe becuase he didn't look safe.

Not taking sides, just noticing some inconsistency.

Because it doesn't look like one to me. how it is perceived by others is their business.

Go back and read the OP, this is what was stated,

"However, I’ve got a great angle on the play and it’s clear to me that although F3 has the ball down to make the tag in plenty of time, B/R has slid into 1st avoiding the tag by a couple of inches. The only ones in the whole park who know F3 missed the tag is the B/R and me. I don’t think even F3 believes he missed the tag (but he did)."

[dfwump]

BSump16 says:

"This is where experience comes into play and was why I started this thread - to see what other ump's experience had to offer. I think you have to be at least aware of how your call will be perceived and how it will effect game management. For what it's worth, in the initial sitch I called the B/R out. Not a peep from anyone (except for a questioning look from the B/R) and the game proceeded smoothly."

Exactly as I suspected. I get tired of those who believe in absolutes, as if there is only black and white and no grey.

Lets add to the OP. Lets suppose its the bottom of the 4th and the HT is winning 20-0. VT has no chance and everyone knoes it (VT knows as well). You need 6 outs and everyone goes home. Its two out and you have the play as described. No one sees the missed tag but you! If I'm PU and you call safe. We are going to have a talk afterwords.

Umpiring is an art, not a science. I do HS games often where the teams are sorely mis-matched. No contest here, not even close. The coaches and players know that the zone is going to change with the score. If its 18-0 after three innings, am I going to call a ball a stike...you better believe it! No one says a word.

Its not just ball/strikes, safe/outs , and fair/fouls. Its game management.

Everyone on this board knows what I am talking about, dont pretend you dont.

Mike C

[David B]

Originally Posted by dfwump

BSump16 says:

"This is where experience comes into play and was why I started this thread - to see what other ump's experience had to offer. I think you have to be at least aware of how your call will be perceived and how it will effect game management. For what it's worth, in the initial sitch I called the B/R out. Not a peep from anyone (except for a questioning look from the B/R) and the game proceeded smoothly."

Exactly as I suspected. I get tired of those who believe in absolutes, as if there is only black and white and no grey.

Lets add to the OP. Lets suppose its the bottom of the 4th and the HT is winning 20-0. VT has no chance and everyone knoes it (VT knows as well). You need 6 outs and everyone goes home. Its two out and you have the play as described. No one sees the missed tag but you! If I'm PU and you call safe. We are going to have a talk afterwords.

Umpiring is an art, not a science. I do HS games often where the teams are sorely mis-matched. No contest here, not even close. The coaches and players know that the zone is going to change with the score. If its 18-0 after three innings, am I going to call a ball a stike...you better believe it! No one says a word.

Its not just ball/strikes, safe/outs , and fair/fouls. Its game management.

Everyone on this board knows what I am talking about, dont pretend you dont.

Mike C

There will be calls that every umpire makes during a season that we call incorrectly because for some reason or not we don't see it. We are blocked, something unusual happens, we don't have the best angle. That happens to every umpire (even in MLB).

That's game management though calling what we thought we saw and selling the call. (IOW, we thought we got the call right, but we did not)

But to actually see a player that is safe called out - that's not game management IMO. That's a missed call. Surely you can get away with it by selling it etc., but that's taking the easy road.

At least that's my take.

Thanks
David

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by jicecone

I don't quite remember Freud having stated that he umpired Baseball but, thats probably a different Forum.

You can choose what ever words you like to justify your analysis of perception, reality, projection, art, science etc...etc, bottom line is, you are there to make a instantaneous decision of what you saw. Thats reality. And this is what an official should endeavor to base his development on.

I don't call 12-6 knee-high and crossed up pithches strikes unless they look like one. Most of the time they don't but, there have been occasions.

And yes, "needing to impress others" is directly related to how you are perceived and accepted by them. It may be the extreme case of perception that we are discussing here but, it is where one can end up if that is the path they choose.

As I understand what you're saying - on ball/strike you go with what is perceived to be a ball or a strike (you won't "reward" a crossed-up pitch as a strike unless its perceived by others ("looks like") a strike, even if it is a strike; but on safe/out you always go with reality (and would never give an "in the neighborhood" out) even if both teams and everyone in the park thinks you screwed the pooch. OK, it's a useful (but not particularly logical) distinction.

May I point out, however, that if you continue making calls that you know are correct, but everyone else thinks are wrong, you won't be considered as being honest and having integrity; you'll be considered as lacking judgment and being incompetent. Such is life.

[BSUmp16]

Originally Posted by jicecone

bottom line is, you are there to make a instantaneous decision of what you saw

Sounds to me like your timing is way too fast. No need to make an instantaneous decision. Let the play develop and wait until you are clear about the call. It isn't anything until you call it.