Dilemma - Dropped ball during rundown

[DaveASA/FED]

I agree with everyone else here....SLOW DOWN! I still have to tell myself that every game to slow down, I have gotten better with plate mechanics thud...ball or thud...strike. But still want to make a rush call in the field...it all happened so fast I should call it fast, right??? Wrong. I worked with a new partner lastnight, good official, works college a couple of state finals under his belt. Had a play at 3rd ball coming in from outfield runner hook sliding and I got a feeling of what good timing was and it is a lot slower than what I would have called it. The slide was done runner had stopped moving and he came in with a sell safe call that left no doubt! Just like a call at first when you call out when the runner is a couple of steps past first there is nothing wrong with waiting till the play is "done" to make the call.

And on another note I guess I am getting better at not listening to people I did a game Tuesday night where one player was a daughter of a co-worker. This lady came to me yesterday at work and asked if I was deaf. I guess she was heckling me from the whole game, to a point where her husband even told her to be quiet, and I honestly never even heard her. But I also have had a case where the wind blew just right when that one fan seemed to yell!!