Asking for Help

[WestMichBlue]

I WILL always go for help when asked on a check swing

Even here I will not. I got burned once and won't make that mistake again.

Exception: two strikes on batter, check swing on a pitch that gets by the catcher. You called a ball and, in esessence, told the batter to stay home. Go to your partner who reverses the call and batter is an easy out. (By now the catcher has retrieved the passed ball.)

I am going to stick to my call on that one. If the coach insists, then I would check with partner in a meeting -never with a hand point.

Honestly, this is one umpiring protocal that I do not like. If I am not sure, I will not make a call, but will point to partner and thus transfer the call to him. But if I made the call, and out of courtesy go to partner, then he can overrule my call without my input.

On every other challenge the umpires talk in private. Regardless of partner's opinion, the calling umpire always makes the decision as to whether to uphold or reverse his own call. When you point to your partner, the call automatically becomes his and you live with it, whether you like his call or not.

Obviously this process has long been ingrained in to our game, and just as obvious, we are not going to call time and have a conference on every challenged check swing. But this doesn't mean that I like it. Personally, with my eyes only 3'-4' from the bat, I believe that I can see a checked swing just as well as my partner's eyes that are 75' away. When I am on the bases, regardless of who I am working with, I find that 90% of the time I disagree with whatever call the PU makes on a check swing. Obviously, our viewpoints are different. But what make my view, from 75', automatically better that his? It is not - but if he points at me, it is my call that becomes legal.

WMB