LLWS - Championship

[briancurtin]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

Doesn't saying "ball" cover it? That would, after all, be the definition of "ball."

It covers it in the same way as just calling a runner "safe" at first base even though the ball beat him by two steps and the first baseman pulled his foot. In both cases, you have a call and an extra piece of information that saves or at least redirects the followup.

[EsqUmp]

Originally Posted by briancurtin

It covers it in the same way as just calling a runner "safe" at first base even though the ball beat him by two steps and the first baseman pulled his foot. In both cases, you have a call and an extra piece of information that saves or at least redirects the followup.

This is a bit of apples and oranges, or at least two different types of apples.

On a pulled foot, you're saying that, "but for the pulled foot, the runner would have been out." It's also communicating something that not everyone may have seen.

When you say "ball" it means that the pitch didn't enter the strike zone and, in the very least, you don't believe the batter swung. When you say, "ball, no he didn't," you are definitively stating that the batter did not swing. To me, there is a huge difference. As a coach, if the base umpire then said, "yes, he swung" I would go out and say to the plate umpire, "you said he didn't swing and the base umpire said he did swing, so now we're at 50/50. So why is it a swing?" If he says, "well, I wasn't sure if he swung," I would say, "then why did you specifically and definitively stated, "no swing?" Then I would likely either hear "they told me to" or I hear crickets chirping.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by EsqUmp

As a coach, if the base umpire then said, "yes, he swung" I would go out and say to the plate umpire, "you said he didn't swing and the base umpire said he did swing, so now we're at 50/50. So why is it a swing?" If he says, "well, I wasn't sure if he swung," I would say, "then why did you specifically and definitively stated, "no swing?" Then I would likely either hear "they told me to" or I hear crickets chirping.

He shouldn't say that - he should say "By rule, plate umpires are to ask for help from the base umpire when asked on a checked swing, at which point the call becomes the base umpire's call." Done.

[dash_riprock]

If I am 100% sure about a non-swing, I will - confidently - verbalize it. "Ball -no swing!" or something similar. I am telling my partner (pre-gamed) that I had a real good look at it, and I'm sure he didn't go. If he wants to change my call, that's fine with me, but (as BU) I would have to see pretty much a full swing before I would consider ringing it up.

As for the coach coming out, the response is simple: "We're not discussing balls and strikes."

[Steven Tyler]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

He shouldn't say that - he should say "By rule, plate umpires are to ask for help from the base umpire when asked on a checked swing, at which point the call becomes the base umpire's call." Done.

Except for FED.