You Make the Call #2`

[Dakota]

Originally posted by Dakota
Technically, a bad call.

Game management-wise, a bad explanation, unless he had instructed them to wear their uniforms properly already.

In giving the explanation, he had his choice of lies (unless he was willing to award the base).

Quoting myself just to be clear.

I don't like his call, and I don't like his explanation, and if you are not going to make this call (speaking ASA), then you are backed into a corner of having to try to fudge (OK - lie was a bit harsh) your way around the rule and the coach.

What this umpire did was tell the coach that something was the rule when it wasn't.

Since in the originally stated scenario, I did not see a dead ball being called, I made the assumption that the umpire decided to ignore the ball hitting the uniform, and when the coach called him on it, he made something up to bluff the coach. At least, that is how I read it.

Hence - bad call, worse explanation.

I DO like the "no attempt to avoid" as a better way to handle this, assuming the batter made no or only minor attempt to avoid.

If I am allowing billowing uni's to remain untucked, shame on me. I would prefer the "FYC" tone to an explanation on why it was not called than a "bluff the coach" attempt.