Play with Obstruction

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally posted by SC Ump

I take offense at your condescending attitude and your belittling of NFHS ball. I have no problem with you disagreeing with my position, but your holier than thou point of view towards NFHS ball exemplifies your narrow views.

Take offense all you please, my comment was not condescending. I simply suggested you stay with the game with which you are familiar. I know the organizations with which I am associated want their umpires to call an entire game, not just the corner for which they are responsible.

Any problems I have with NFHS do not involve the umpires. Rules maybe, but not the umpires. BTW, familiar or not, I believe you are wrong. This isn't a judgment call, it is a rules violation and all umpires on a field have equal responsibility in observing, recognizing and calling them.

As for my position, I have no problems with the fact that my opinion is very much different than many fine umpires. Good NFHS ones, good NSA ones, good U-TRIP ones and good ASA ones.

It's sweet that you see it as pretty when three umpires are throwing that left arm out simultaneously. If that's the ASA goal, perhaps all three umpires should follow a solo batter runner around the bases and do simultaneous safe and out calls when necessary. Oh my, I bet that would really be pretty.

Now who is being condescending? I don't know an ASA Championship Play level umpire who is not proud of the training provided. Many go out of their way to get all the training they can. Because of that training, many an ASA umpire can walk onto the field with two or three other umpires with whom they have never worked, have a short, if any, pre-game meeting and work the game as a team. The best part is that point will be completely transparent to the teams and spectators.

However, I think problems would arise when the umpires saw it differently and this is my point. If I am on the bases and see a play as not obstruction, or not interference, and if my partner were to call it when it is not his call, I am sure I would disagree with him on the spot. I would not be executing my duties properly if I did less.

And your partner would not be executing his/her duties if s/he chose to ignore a violation that you failed to see. If the mechanics are executed properly, each umpire will see the play from a different angle. Hence, what you didn't see as OBS, it may very well have been from your partner's view.

The purpose of multiple umpires is to cover more of the field with more eyes, not to section off portions and assign them to a particular umpires so they won't have to cover as much territory.

[mcrowder]

SC - he was not being condescending. He was merely stating that the comments you made regarding HS ball were so far off base from ASA mechanics that you should probably not be advising ASA umpires at all. Honestly, I think your comments were off-base for HS ball too. You are treating the game like a football game. This is MY area, not yours, so don't make any calls in MY area. Hogwash. Safe/Out is one thing - one umpire IS responsible for that call, depending on the situation. But OBS, INT, and several other rules are not supposed to be called that way.

In lining yourself up for the optimal call on a possible close play at one base, you take yourself out of the most optimal position for events that occur at other bases. This is where your partner is EXPECTED to pitch in, when possible. If BU is ready for a close play at 2nd, he CERTAINLY doesn't have the best angle on OBS or possibly even INT near first base. This is true at ANY level ball, and for either baseball or softball, and for either 2 or 3 man mechanics.

THIS IS NOT FOOTBALL. Work together, not separately.

PS - if you're going to tell someone not to condescend, at least have the decency to not condescend in that very same post.

[LIIRISHMAN]

I would wait as the PU to see if my partner was calling the obs.The fact that there was obstruction may not warrant you as the PU to make a call(depending on the call).A runner being called out and being obstructed warrants a reversal by the umpiring crew.It's ALL our jobs to make the game fair for both sides.Let's be honest we all have missed a call or play but not to allow your partner to call a outright obstruction call because you didn't see it is plain wrong in my opinion.

[CecilOne]

IM,
I kind of resented the "stay in HS ball" comment when I first read it, even though I also disagreed with SC, but afterward I realized it wasn't a put down and that your follow-up is more the case:

"the organizations with which I am associated want their umpires to call an entire game, not just the corner for which they are responsible.

Any problems I have with NFHS do not involve the umpires. Rules maybe, but not the umpires. "