What Was Your Worst Call...?

[bluezebra]

"The 3rd basemen throws the ball home and the catcher stomps hardly on home plate."

How does someone hardly stomp on home plate? She either stepped on the plate, or did not.

Bob

[Al]

Originally Posted by bluezebra

"The 3rd basemen throws the ball home and the catcher stomps hardly on home plate."

How does someone hardly stomp on home plate? She either stepped on the plate, or did not.

Bob

The catcher stomped (jumped) on the plate in a very dramatic and conclusive fashion Bob as if to say... "YES, she's out... we win!!! She obviously thought there was a force out at the plate.

[WestMichBlue]

A funny one happened years ago in a 12U rec BB game, runners at 1B and 2B, one out, routine ground ball to SS. Tinkers to Evers to Chance is running through my mind as I move out from behind the plate to the right side to take the play at 2B and then to 1B.

But there is no ball! SS went to 3B and all I see is a cloud of dust. I immediately pointed to the 3B coach and yelled, "your call!" "Out," he replied, with a pretty good hammer.

Learned then never to anticipate.

A cruder lesson was hammered home a few years ago in the 18U Championship game at a summer tournament. Though I had been umpiring for many years, I was still struggling with my base mechanics. Anyway, runner on 2B, soft liner to LF. Runner hesitates so I quickly move in front of her to get inside. Then she goes and I pivot and only need a few steps to 3B - where I nearly run into the PU in perfect position to make the call. He does - then turns to me and snarls, "Git the F out of here - that is my call!" He said it in a way that I was the only one to hear it - and hear it I did!

Since that day, I make sure that I watch "my runners" and when the lead runner passes 2B I don't even look back.

WMB

[wadeintothem]

Well.. watching the major league oops video of Ed Hickox's beautiful sell out *snicker* on the uncaught ball play at the plate in the little ball forum reminds me of a very bad call of mine..

Something like this

NFHS Varsity, partner no show.. working by myself

R1@3B - ball hit to F6 R1 goes.. F6 throws home.
Slide play at the plate.. Sell out
BR (now R?) goes to 2B
F2 throws to 2B, gets her.
Sell out #2..

but wahhhhattss all the hubbub bub..

EVERYONE but me, including my son (an umpire watching from behind the backstop) saw the catcher drop the ball on the play at the plate, pick it up quickly and throw to second. There wasnt even a chance for "show me the ball" .. it was a catch/tag/release.

Outs stood too, no way to reverse it.

My bad.

[MichaelVA2000]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Well.. watching the major league oops video of Ed Hickox's beautiful sell out *snicker* on the uncaught ball play at the plate in the little ball forum reminds me of a very bad call of mine..

Something like this

NFHS Varsity, partner no show.. working by myself

R1@3B - ball hit to F6 R1 goes.. F6 throws home.
Slide play at the plate.. Sell out
BR (now R?) goes to 2B
F2 throws to 2B, gets her.
Sell out #2..

but wahhhhattss all the hubbub bub..

EVERYONE but me, including my son (an umpire watching from behind the backstop) saw the catcher drop the ball on the play at the plate, pick it up quickly and throw to second. There wasnt even a chance for "show me the ball" .. it was a catch/tag/release.

Outs stood too, no way to reverse it.

My bad.

Several years ago I had a similar play doing one-man mechanics. R1 at third and batter hits one to F5 who throws to F2. R1 slides into F2's tag. I'm calling and signaling the out at the plate when F2 fires the ball from her knees to F6 who makes the tag on the BR who is sliding into second base. As the ball left F2's hand, I began creating an angle for viewing the tag at second but was unable to gain much distance. The call at second went something like this: And from ninety feet with a perfect viewing angle, OUT at second! As the OC walks by me on the way back to the dugout he says to me: Blue, I was going to argue that call at second. I thought you were closer to ninety-five feet away, but you sold me on the perfect angle statement.

I grinned for a good inning after that.