pulled foot at 1st - getting help

[Jerry]

Steve,
I have the utmost respect for Jon and other professionals of his ilk. You may have noticed in his anecdote, he had already made a call . . . "Safe". It was afterwards, when the 2nd baseman, the coaches, his partners and all God's children look at him incredulously that he thought it best to gather the troops to reconsider.

That wasn't the question of this discussion. I agree; it's a whole lot better to make a call, see the enemy coming at you in force, and then reconsider your judgement. What Jon didn't do . . . AND RIGHTFULLY SO . . . is to ask his partner(s) for help BEFORE THE FACT. There are many, many plays and calls that can be "reversed" after thoughtful consideration. My suggestion is only that the BU should be responsible for making his/her own call . . . which is exactly what Jon had done!

In retrospect . . . and in many years of umpiring . . . if I have some thought that F3 pulled his foot, he pulled his foot! I won't ask for help; I'll call the runner "safe" and sell the call by emphatically showing that F3 was off the bag. "Off the bag, off the bag, off the bag; runner safe."

Much less arguing in that scenario, wouldn't you agree?

Jerry