Why me, ignorant partner

[scottk_61]

Originally posted by GarthB
I get off of the line about 2.5 to 4 feet but many clinics are advocating further in order to giv the plate ump an easy view of the line all the way out in cases of line drives or bounding balls.

What type of clinics? Who is running these clinics? I don't know of a pro school or a pro clinic or an NCAA clinic that teaches this. Please let me know if I've missed something new here, but to me this makes no sense. Line drives or bounding balls "all the way out" belong to the BU not the PU.

Hugging the line is (imho) lazy umpiring mechanics.

Perhaps you perceive it that way, but to those who teach at proschools, it is the proper mechanic.

When I went to the Evans School in the dark old days, they had you get off the line more too.
Maybe I am using improper wording when I say "bounding ball and line drives."
I guess I should say line drives that are touched or caught before touching the ground along the first base area...... not ones that actually go untouched and then hit past the bag.
The same goes for bounding balls that cut the bag, and not just bounding inside and then going past the bag.
Maybe this will help clarify what I am saying. Instead of generating mud as I usually do.