Do any of the rest of you have trouble picking this up?

I had two plays last weekend where the third base coach claimed the batted ball went straight down and hit the batter in the foot. I didn't see either one, but I think that they were correct. In both cases, the ball rolled out into fair territory and the BR was put out at first.

In both games, I was working with solid partners that would have killed the ball had they seen it hit the batter, but it's difficult to see for sure from out in the field.

Is this an issue for anyone else? If you don't clearly see the batted ball hit the foot, would you kill the ball based on the batter's reaction or any other clues?

No, because many batters would fake being hit on the foot. If you're not sure, let the play go, and check with your partner(s) after all action has ceased.

Bob

Had this exact sitch in our tournament 3 weeks ago. I was PU, and completely missed it. Ball landed and rested on home plate. I sat there pointing to fair ground while the rest of the planet KNEW it hit her.

BU was relatively new and didn't know to kill the ball, but did know enough that after BR finally was thrown out at first, to run in and tell me what he saw. We fixed it, and I grabbed a towel to remove the egg from my face.

Hmmmmmmmmm

"No, because many batters would fake being hit on the foot. If you're not sure, let the play go, and check with your partner(s) after all action has ceased"

Bob, I agree with letting the play go when we're not sure. But I'd say depend on your partner to kill it after a slight delay when BU sees that PU has not seen the ball hit the batter. If I have to ask my partner, I'm really asking my partner if he is not doing his job.

I was always taught that the base umpire should only call "dead ball" in this situation if he is 100% sure the batted ball struck the batter's body. If he is less than 100% certain, he should let the play proceed. If the offensive team complains after the fact, the umpires can confer and then get the call right. I've seen the reverse happen a few times: The base umpire thinks the batted ball has struck the batter's foot and calls foul--only to realize that the ball hit the ground in front of the batter. That's a worse mess to be in.

[Edited by John Robertson on Jun 3rd, 2005 at 02:19 PM]

Between the BU screened by the batter or catcher andthe distance to the C1 position, some of these always will be missed. Just think, in football, they would add a foot judge.

One of the complexes we call on has rubber mats under the batter's box. I was PU in
a game where my partner in C position, saw what he thought was the batter's foot being
hit, call "dead ball", I responded with "foul" since batter was still in the box.
Batter yells out to my partner, "That ball did not hit my foot!" He responded, "Well,
it should have, cause it is "Dead now."

I don't see much need to get together to talk about this one. If PU did not see it, and BU was not sure enogh of what happened to call it, it didn't happen. Other than the example MC gave, where a relatively inexperienced ump came to him immediately afterward, I see asking your partner if this happened as really asking your partner if he is not doing his job. If you see this happen as BU, delay a very short time to let PU call it. If PU does not call it, BU must call it. If neither saw the batter get hit, it did not happen.

I agree that if you or your umpire partner did not see the batted ball hit the batter-let the play proceed.
Don't bring attention to the play and certainly talk with your partner if coach questions the call (or lack of call) once the play is done.
A simple theroy that I apply when umpiring, especially when there is a questionable play as described: "You can change a fair ball to foul but you cannot change a foul ball (dead ball) to a fair ball".
Thanks