Interesting (not really but what the heck) thing tonight.

Is Rec League 1 Man

So we got an easy play at first, and i ding up the runner. I'm calling it from inside a few yards from Home looking at 1B.. its a no brainer call.

another out later, end of the inning. 1B coach comes to me and says "I know you cant see it, but she is off the bag by an inch." Her foot is slanted and all.. it looks like shes on so I tell the coach I'll be watching.

Next inning.. another slightly close but clearly out play. Knowing what I know, I'm on 1 knee staring at the foot and focussed.. it looks like it on, but I can see maybe not - hard to tell.. but I know whats coming. There it goes, 1B coach does vigorous safe call. I ring up the runner.

Coach comes over to me.. He says, look her foot was off 3-4 inches that time. I just told him from my angle shes on the bag and thats an out.

OK SO (FIRST: all forthcoming chants of "eject" aside, I'm not gonna do it, is a friendly rec league Ive worked with a long time and is just not necessary IMO) just discusinng the principle of the call itself


This is an out to me.. one of those cases where the benefit of the doubt goes to being on the bag... as opposed to the general rule, you cant call an out you dont see.. You cant call a pulled foot you dont see....an out at 1B is an out..

or what say you?

You gotta call what you see. If you saw an out, it is an out.

Call what you see is all you can do, in any situation.

However, I would call from a standing position. The only umpires I
see on their kness are BB's. :D

If this is a friendly rec league that you've worked for years then you should wait for her to be warming up before an inning starts and ask her if her foot's on the base because the other team says it's not. If not then I bet she starts making sure she's got the bag now.

Also, it could be that these team know each other and it's just 1 coach trying to be crafty/funny.

You might also suggest that if he wants better positioning for the play at 1st, the league needs to spring for 2 umpires per game.