Bone Head Call

[mcrowder]

Let's not jump too hard on bigsig - he admits he made the error.

However, coaches and players are still responsible for knowing the situation. In most games, with 2 outs, the coaches will have been reminding runners to run on a fly, and would be yelling run, run, run. I think the only player actually placed at jeopardy here is the batter. Infield fly is not a dead ball, so action after the umpire error should be taken into account.

I don't think I can answer what I would do without knowing what happened after the ball dropped. I can see protecting the batter... but if F4 made a play elsewhere successfully, there's nothing to fix. If F4 made NO play, I'd simply wait to see what happens.

[blu_bawls]

bigsig,

I did this early in my career in a 12 or 14U game. Almost exact same situation. One parent went nuts and I had to toss him.

This is one of those errors that doesn't change the facts that the team didn't catch the ball so what happens on the field stands.

Now I just give the signal for one-three seconds before I say anything (if I do).

[CelticNHBlue]

Don't kick yourself too hard. I almost made this mistake earlier this year. I called, "Infield Fly" when I realized the situation. However, I could at least back out of it by explaining that I was just declaring the play at hand, after all, it was a flyball in the infield.

IMO, the only way you can put someone on base here is if you verbally declared them out and you feel that they stopped running because you did so. In that case, you have put that player in jeopardy to be put out and would have to award a base, in this case the BR to first. Anything less, either in your call, or in the reaction of the players to your call, I have to let the play stand because you did not impact their actions.