pulled foot at 1st - getting help

[Tim C]

I find that this has become a trade of mental masturbation between the "come on guys, getting the call right is the ONLY important thing" and the group that says "learn your trade and you will not have to ask."

When the great arbitor Bill Klem was asked "Have you ever missed a call?"

His answer made basball history when he answered, "In my HEART I have never missed a call!"

You would probably call him arrogant (we also know that Mr. Klem also refused to allow any umpire to work the dish when he was on the crew) by simply not understanding the way that "some officials" see their duty.

Have I ever missed a call? . . . I try to keep it to a "countable" few in every game.;-}

When did it become arrogant to know how to train, to spend the money to train, to work on your trade enough that you are in position to make calls? When did that become a bad thing?

In closing, the same schools that train for the PU to move into position to "help" on the swipe tag and pulled foot are the exact same schools that tell BU's "Don't EVER ask! Live with your own calls!"

We will never agree on this situation (just as Evans and Roder can't agree on the catching of a foul tip (ball) after a pitch has bounced to the hitter or Evans and Roder failing to agree on where a throw comes from to make the runners box rules active) and there is nothing wrong with that.

We "old" guys seem to have come the farthest in the discussion (saying we would at least "help") and we don't call you or your partners names (arrogant).

Steve we just believe that an umpire can get the angle, every time, and make the call. Pretty simple too me!

Tee