Not in the casebook .....

[John Robertson]

These one-umpire tales remind me of a situation where I once actually did ask a coach to help me with a call.

I was the sole umpire in a girls' fastball game. Two outs. Runner at second. Batter lined a base hit into right field. I see the batter-runner attempting to stretch the hit into a double. I move out to make the call at second base. The batter-runner is tagged out. Three out--but I have absolutely no idea if the runner from second base scored ahead of the third out being made. (She was not a particularly fast runner, so a guess would have been really iffy.) I went to the offensive team's coach and said I was in no position to tell if his runner had scored. I told him I was depending 100% on his honesty. He told me his runner hadn't touched the plate when the batter-runner was put out at second. I thanked him and ruled "no run."

Somehow I don't think that degree of honesty would happen in every league.