PU Positioning
 

Coach here with a question. Was watching an MLB game, can't recall which, and there was a play at the plate. BR hit a single to LF and the throw came home, but was up the line toward 3B. As the C moves to field the throw and attempt to make a play I notice the PU moving from behind the plate up the first base line in foul territory.

I'm not interested in slamming or questioning his positioning, but wanted to know when do you ideally make the decision on where you need to be to see the play? I know from reading some previous posts that you don't want to be moving when viewing a play if possible but, in cases like this where the throw may be not where you expect it to be, it seems like you almost have to be.

Guess I'm wondering a bit about the mechanics of when you decide to move to get in position and what dictates where you stand. Thanks in advance.

A) You want to be somewhere where you can see tag (or catch), ball, and base.
B) You want to be somewhere where you do not affect the play.
C) You definitely move as the play develops (i.e. in your example when you see the throw off line - the spot you want to see the tag moves), and be still as late as possible.
D) Most of the time, angle is far more important than distance.

The league or association? I think most people know the mechanics of the league or association he's referring to.

Thanks fir the replies MB. Meant MLB. Do you start on the baseline extended (third baseline in my example) then adjust?

Sorry for the basic questions, just always wondered.

Most experienced umpires will initially line themselves up on the point of the plate and let the play dictate where they move to make their call.

Tim.

Unless you're doing professional baseball where you can have legal collisions at the plate, you will see most amateur umpires who know what they're doing take plays at the plate from third base line extended.

Umpire Clinics encourage Point of plate on throw from left field and 3BLX on throw from right field, because of the swipe tag.

When I began, I took everything from 1BLX but there were times when the catcher's body, runner's legs and dust cloud would make it hard to see a dropped ball after the tag. When the ball is thrown in and where the catcher sets allows you the opportunity to decide on one of the 3 choices.

Not from left field or 3rd base!

Fixed it for you.

I've seen MLB umpires step into fair territory from time to time to take a play at the plate. This isn't something that's been taught at any camp or clinic I've attended. I'm curious if this is an advanced mechanic some of you might use. If so, what would dictate you moving into fair territory?

Tim.

Yes, you do.

There is only one play that should be taken from anywhere other than 3BLX and that is if F2 is blocking and the runner appears to intend to go between his legs.

Even from the left side, taking a play from 1BLX will cause the runner (at least) to be between you and the tag.

And I've seen them sell the crap out of an out call at home when the throw sailed clear to the backstop.

The mechanic has been out for a while. I'll use 1BLX until I'm mandated to do such. MLB has pristine fields. Most fields I've been on aren't that way. Can't see a damn thing with dirt flying everywhere from 3BLX.

Those are the most important times for you to be 3blx.

Certain clinics try to have "the answer" but you will be in the right place more times than not if you take the plays at the plate from 3BLX and on a block, rotate up in to fair territory that way you can also see if the ball comes out.

Yes, taking the runner and the throw at a 180 angle is a great idea. That's why we call steals of 2nd base from center field, right?

Do I have to enumerate why this post is so stupid?

Sure... although I'm not sure "stupid" is appropriate to the new and improved kindler gentler forum. :)

Seriously, my comment was somewhat tongue in cheek ... but in every tag play you're trying to get an angle where you can see the ball coming in, the runner coming in, and then the tag when it happens (along with the base, obviously).

3BLE on a throw from F5 or F7 is going to leave you blocked from the tag very very often.

1BLX gives you zero options, meaning your stuck there so if the play gets weird such as throw slightly up the 3B line and runner going inside you are completely straightlined. 3BLX gives you the best angle for any swipe tag and the option of rotating to either 1BL or going to 1BLX for an angle on any other play.

In my association if you go to 1BLX you are going to be dinged hard on a eval and not going to move up to. You'll be working JV for life.

Time after time, I come on there, see one guy defending this position or that, despite the fact that 4 or 5 (or 10 or 25) people are telling him he's wrong. The man stubbornly insists he's right, slicing and dicing rules or quoting this book or that ... referring to instructions received at the I'm Famous So I Have a Clinic - Clinic.

I (and the 4 or 5 or 10 or 25) come to the conclusion that Don Quixote is an idiot. Even if someone tries reasoning and tells him to ask his clinician, he stubbornly stays on his spot like the North-Moving Zax.

Looks like I'm the stubborn Zax here. So I'll bow to the majority and admit I may have been taught wrong - and will definitely bring this up at the next clinic.

Call 'em how you want. But nobody who's been trained recently takes many plays, if any from 1BLX anymore.

Good luck to you, you call 'em your way, I'll call 'em mine.

No One?



Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | SD@LAD: Padres plate a pair on surprise steal of home - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

Read my entire post. Carefully. And on this play the positioning still wasn't that great, but he might have been pinned. I haven't seen this clip for a few weeks.

My point was not to critique your statement, or whether you are right or wrong in positioning for plays at the plate because, as you have already stated, "Call 'em how you want".

Rather, whether you start 1BLX, point of the plate, 3BLX or any other place, you have to adjust to the play, the level of ball, the catchers ability and anyone of many other varibles to get the call right. We sometimes get so hung up on perfect positioning and still forget that it is a suggested location to start from but, do what you have to to get the dang call right.

Looking and acting professional is good for perception but, that greatly diminishes when you don't get the call correct.

Couldn't agree more!

Is it just me, or had anyone else noticed more arguments over missed calls since MLB went with 3BLX? I always thought somebody was only trying to build a better mouse trap with this idea.

A) MLB, AFAIK, has not embraced 3BLX.
B) No.

How do you figure? I have probably 100 clips of plays at the plate and nearly all of them have the PU at 3BLX.

I'm not seeing it across the board. To be honest, I see a handful of guys using it, and the rest kinda do whatever they want.

May just be a perception thing.

It might be a perception thing.