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Re: I believe that

Quote:

Originally posted by booker227
that's a bad mechanic. You expose your backside to the other bases and any potential situations, and you can force your PU away from home without any coverage. From my experience. I don't care how young you are, or how athletic you are, or how good you (universal you, not you personally)believe yourself to be, you cannot cover three bases. I've had the pleasure of officiating this game for many years, and I've found this mechanic to be the best.
Again, not an attack on you personally.

Good or bad is a matter of opinion, the important thing about base coverage is knowing what your partner will do and expect and everywhere I umpire, BU taking the first play is expected. If a BU is covering 3rd, then the PU will watch for situations everywhere and we all know that. It doesn't take any great fitness or expertise to pivot to another base before the second throw gets there, a lot less than a PU trying to get to 3rd for a throw from F6 or even F4.

I work a lot with the partner I had in this game. We discuss situtations
such as happen here. I knew that when I went forward toward 1B to make
the call, he would be headed towards 3rd. I was in great position to go
home if necessary. I knew he would see anything else that might happen on
the play, just did not know he had a fake tag, and that we had a LL umpire
for a coach that was certain BU should make all calls in the infield.

Main thing here was communications. Both umpires were aware of their
respective duties on this play.