Don't get yourself straight-lined!

[briancurtin]

Here's the video: All Top Plays | LAD@COL: Hairston incorrectly called out at first - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

[umpjim]

Went 90 to throw; probably didn't read throw and no adjustment. 2SF would have worked here. Pick your poison.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by umpjim

Went 90 to throw; probably didn't read throw and no adjustment. 2SF would have worked here. Pick your poison.

I agree. While it's easy to get to 90 and looks like you're really hustling, it more often than not puts F3 between you and the play at the base, especially on the longer or off-balance throws from F5. Two to three steps fair is plenty.

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by SanDiegoSteve

I agree. While it's easy to get to 90 and looks like you're really hustling, it more often than not puts F3 between you and the play at the base, especially on the longer or off-balance throws from F5. Two to three steps fair is plenty.

If it's really a 90, it will not put F3 between you and the base. Most often, as in the case, he went beyond the 90. He was set up for a throw from third base or even then the mound and it came from the SS position. The bad throw and his failure to adjust made it worse.

[SanDiegoSteve]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

If it's really a 90, it will not put F3 between you and the base. Most often, as in the case, he went beyond the 90. He was set up for a throw from third base or even then the mound and it came from the SS position. The bad throw and his failure to adjust made it worse.

Yeah, looking at it again, he was more like 45 degrees from where the throw originated.

[thumpferee]

Is there another?

[SE Minnestoa Re]

When you figure how many games these guys work and how everything is being videoed, it is surprising there aren't more calls like this made. I might work 60 games a year. I wonder how many calls would show up on You Tube if every call I made was taped?

The MLB guys are great. I wish I were as good as the worst one. But the law of averages will catch up to them too.

[Rich]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

If it's really a 90, it will not put F3 between you and the base. Most often, as in the case, he went beyond the 90. He was set up for a throw from third base or even then the mound and it came from the SS position. The bad throw and his failure to adjust made it worse.

Too damned far -- well beyond 90 degrees. And no read step on the bad throw -- he focused on the play before reading a bad throw. Happens to all of us. Horrible time for it to happen to him considering it ended up all over the web.

[MrUmpire]

Horrible. No excuse. Pure laziness.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Horrible. No excuse. Pure laziness.

I do not think it has anything to do with laziness, but an old mechanic that umpires that are older love to hold onto. Actually he had to hustle to get to that spot, but it is just a bad spot.

Peace

[505 ump]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not think it has anything to do with laziness, but an old mechanic that umpires that are older love to hold onto. Actually he had to hustle to get to that spot, but it is just a bad spot.

Peace

Agreed. Used it myself for many years. Fellow ump showed my 2-3 steps a few years back. using it since.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by JRutledge

I do not think it has anything to do with laziness, but an old mechanic that umpires that are older love to hold onto. Actually he had to hustle to get to that spot, but it is just a bad spot.

Peace

It's a bad spot in our games. In MLB, where the throw is accurate 99% of the time, that is a far better position than 2SF to judge whether the runner beats the throw. When things go awry, the shortcoming of the position is magnified, but that doesn't detract from how good a spot it is at that level.

"90 to the line of the throw" is a meaningless standard. You're always at 90. The length and direction of the perpendicular varies with the throw, but you're always at 90.

[JRutledge]

Originally Posted by Publius

It's a bad spot in our games. In MLB, where the throw is accurate 99% of the time, that is a far better position than 2SF to judge whether the runner beats the throw. When things go awry, the shortcoming of the position is magnified, but that doesn't detract from how good a spot it is at that level.

"90 to the line of the throw" is a meaningless standard. You're always at 90. The length and direction of the perpendicular varies with the throw, but you're always at 90.

I disagree that plays at that level are that accurate. They have their share of bad throws just like we do at our levels. The difference is they have that look almost all the time, where we have to move inside the diamond and still have to make those calls.

Peace

[MrUmpire]

Originally Posted by Publius

It's a bad spot in our games. In MLB, where the throw is accurate 99% of the time, that is a far better position than 2SF to judge whether the runner beats the throw. When things go awry, the shortcoming of the position is magnified, but that doesn't detract from how good a spot it is at that level.

"90 to the line of the throw" is a meaningless standard. You're always at 90. The length and direction of the perpendicular varies with the throw, but you're always at 90.

Nonsense. That is, if you really understand 90 degrees.

[Publius]

Originally Posted by MrUmpire

Nonsense. That is, if you really understand 90 degrees.

I understand 'at a 90 degree angle' means 'perpendicular to.' Superimpose the line from the throw's origin to the bag on the picture, and I guarantee you I can draw a perpendicular between that line and Welke. And if the line of the throw is moved and/or Welke's position is moved, I still can.

If trainers would use the 45/15 vernacular (on a line through, when looking from the plate, the top left and bottom right corners of the bag--a 45 degree angle to the foul line--about 15 feet from the bag), new umpires would understand it a lot better.

Had Welke been there--roughly at the spot on the field hidden by where the screen is attached to the guy-wire--he'd have easily seen this play, and had an easy 1-2 step adjustment in any direction.