Honesty is the best policy?

[Jerry]

Rich,
Not to be nit-picky or to play "word games", but I believe we both have the same mechanics in mind; phrased a bit different is all. If you "read between the lines" of my reply to Dave, you'd see that the PU does take all fly balls unless the BU goes out. The BU (from the A-Position)would/should rarely if ever go out if the Centerfielder is stationed straight away (behind 2nd base) and left field.

In the situation of the home run/ground rule double, as the PU I realized immediately that the fly ball was heading in the direction of the Centerfielder and at an angle for which I was responsible . . . and that my partner was not going out.

Dave had asked why the BU didn't go out. That was the reason for the reply. In all honesty, it wouldn't have made any difference as to why he didn't go out. I would have had to make a call in any case. In this instance, I already knew where my partner was and what he was doing . . . watching the runner. Likewise, he already knew where I was . . . because we had covered it in our pre-game. It was for that very reason we had no difficulty in "selling" the ground rule double to the irate coach; because HE (the coach) knew that both of the officials were doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing.

God bless.

Jerry

[DownTownTonyBrown]

The real crux of this issue is do you allow input from other sources than your own immediate senses. Many times I've seen it happen, and I've done it myself, the umpire is out of position, is inattentive, or simply gets caught where they cannot possibly see the necessary components of the play. Their call comes out wrong for what happened. One coach gets emphatically excited that you missed the call, you missed the call, you missed the call, you missed the call. And the umpire resolutely stands by his misposition, his inattentiveness, or the fact that he just couldn't see what happened and sticks to his call. To show just how absolutely infallible he is, he ejects the coach - that has already been wronged once with the original bad call.

Now all is better?

Gentlemen, I contend that this is old school - that you absolutely must ONLY rely upon your sight and your sound senses. That your call is absolutely correct and unquestionable. Anyone who challenges your call shall be ejected... and the ejected father/coach returns to the parking lot with his .22 to shoot you after the game is over. It has happened.

Yes, it is a slippery slope. If you are out of position or inattentive and you make a bad call... dig a hole because you are going deep.

The best solution is to always be on your toes and ready to make the unexpected call. Rare are the times when a call needs to be made in a hurry... so be patient. And allow all of your senses and all of your awareness and attentiveness to aid you in making your judgement. If you do this you shouldn't need to change any calls. You will be able to collect all the input and discard what is not useable. That discard may very well be the player's input that says "Na, he should be safe; I dropped the ball." "Well Son, I appreciate your honesty, but I've already sold this call and I'm going to have to live with it. The runner is out."

Very, very rare/unusual are the times when a player has come to me with information that worsens their own situation. In over 20 years of officiating baseball and softball, I would guess that this situation has not happened to me 3 times - I honestly cannot clearly remember any. And yet this discussion has turned this point of minutia into game reassignments, mind reading, coaching, disparaging remarks, etc.

It was all hypothetical to begin with - the calls have already been made, the plays are over, it is weeks later.

My recommendation is to work diligently to be in the necessary position and be patient enough to allow all of your senses to supply input to your decision. If I were working a Little League game and it's the bottom of the last inning, with the visitors ahead 15-0, two outs, and the 8-year old catcher stands up and says, "Na, he should be safe; I dropped the ball." "Really! Okay, the score is 15-1. Let's get us another out."

This business of lying by ommission is not one of the most endearing qualities of our society - praise be to the 8-year old, and anyone else, that will be honest when it creates a disadvantage for themselves.

[Edited by DownTownTonyBrown on May 20th, 2003 at 09:36 AM]