Baiting runner interference

[David B]

I must have been too vague. I agree that PU should not "jump in" to something that he has no business.

But, in the case of the missed call, (usually this is with BU in C and the play is behind him) Now it might not ever happen to you or I but it does happen a lot simply because I have seen it several times in the last few years missed by veteran crews.

In that situation, I'm not calling anything, but I know in that situation the coach is going to be complaining and then BU and PU can get together on what they saw.

Surely, PU never needs to make a call out of thin air, but when the opportunity exists to make the call correct then I think we have an obligation to make sure we get it right.

In the play I saw the runner was obstructed and tehn thrown out at home on a play at the plate. Cost them a run and they ended up losing by one run in state championship game.

Simply a bad call with three veteran umpires.

And I didn't know the umpires, but I'm sure that PU must have seen the obstruction.

That's what I meant to say.

Thanks
David

Originally posted by Warren Willson t

Like Bob said, David, that's a NO-NO. BU may actually have seen it and chosen to ignore it by making no call. You shouldn't overrule that decision.

If your BU has made a call then you can't intervene without being asked. You have to let it ride. In the subject situation, IF the offensive coach made a complaint you could surreptitiously let your partner know that you may have seen something that he didn't. IF your partner chooses to ask you what you saw, THEN you can toss in your $0.02c but not before.

Our crews have a simple signal - arms folded across the chest - to let our partners know when we have something to offer on a contentious call. It's then up to the umpire making that call to ask for his partner's input, IF he feels he needs it, AND to decide whether or not to change his call. Using 9.04(c) can get very murky when running only 2-man mechanics - it's more designed for 3 or 4-man systems where the differing calls are made by umpires other than the UIC. The UIC is ALMOST ALWAYS going to believe that he had the better view in a 2-man crew, whether or not he truly did.

Cheers