Honesty is the best policy?

[David B]

Sitch 1 - I would make sure that I asked for the ball before making a call to ensure that the tag was made and he had the ball.

If F2 says I dropped the ball I would still call what I saw.


Sitch 2 - I would call what I thought happened. However, I have learned take your time, react to the play, usually a kid that's hit will react a certain way etc., and then make the call.

If I miss it, I miss it, but I'm not changing it.

Now, there have been times in local league I've asked a kid later, did that ball hit you and he would say "no", but that's baseball.

Ain't it fun.

Thanks
David

Originally posted by fguyton
In the last two weeks we've had two games with similar situations that I'd like to hear some opinions on.

1) R1 coming home, there is a throw to the plate. F2 receives the ball and makes the tag but drops the ball as the tag is being applied... but picks it up quickly. PU is shielded from the drop and rings up R1. F2 (much to dismay of Coach and parents) tells PU "He's safe, I dropped the ball." PU asks him to repeat it, which he does, and PU changes call to safe.

2) BR moving to get away from high inside pitch. Ball nips the bat but hard to tell if it was bat or helmut. PU calls HBP tells BR to take his base. BR tells PU it hit the bat not him. PU changes call to foul tip.

At first I thought these were the best ways to handle the situation, but the more I considered it I became less sure. What if if were the other way around, i.e., 1) F2 says "I didn't drop the ball" when PU thinks he did, and 2) BR says "it hit me not the bat". Would the PU change the calls then?

How should you handle something like this?