Worked My First Game Ever Today

[Skahtboi]

Ogie:

Let me also a) welcome you to the board, and b) join in with those who have already encouraged you to use the proper mechanics in your umpiring. You may be a stand alone, at first, if your entire association is doing it the VetUmp's way, but eventually you will be the stand out of the association if you continue using the correct mechanics.

[ogie oglethorpe]

I'd like to thank everybody for the warm welcome, and for reassuring me that trying to do things the right way, is the right way. Even posts by JimPiano help, because without them I may not have realized the importance of proper mechanics prior to seeing the response he received. I'm in no position to question the job anyone else does, I just don't want to emulate what many consider bad habits.

There was actually a play that occurred yesterday while i was working the first game solo, a fly ball down the left field line that should have been a can of corn. As the ball is reaching the fielder I remember reading that I need to think of priorities in terms of fair/foul then catch/no catch. The fielder has the ball bounce off his glove while he and the ball are over foul territory, and it drops just to the foul side of the line. I emphatically rule "foul ball" and the batter asks me if the fielder was in fair territory. No I say, fielder and ball were both in foul territory. But it got me to questioning myself. Does it matter?

Which leads me to my question, since VetUmp was unable to clarify things for me. Is my only criteria for fair/foul the location of the ball when it is touched? Does it matter if the fielder is in fair or foul territory? Suppose while the ball is still in the air over foul territory it caroms off the fielders glove into fair territory before hitting the ground? Is it fair? I may post this in a separate thread to maximize eyeballs. Thanks again everyone.

Ogie

[IRISHMAFIA]

Location, location, location....of the ball. Really don't care where the fielder is.

[elie]

Really thank you a lot for this great topic

[ogie oglethorpe]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Location, location, location....of the ball. Really don't care where the fielder is.

So if the ball bounces off the fielder in foul territory and lands fair, it would be a fair ball yes?

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by ogie oglethorpe

So if the ball bounces off the fielder in foul territory and lands fair, it would be a fair ball yes?

Ask yourself this question, where was the ball first contacted?!

[ogie oglethorpe]

Originally Posted by Skahtboi

Ask yourself this question, where was the ball first contacted?!

OK Thanks. Foul ball it is. Sure glad that ball didn't land fair yesterday.

[CecilOne]

Originally Posted by ogie oglethorpe

OK Thanks. Foul ball it is. Sure glad that ball didn't land fair yesterday.

I usually say to remember the call is "foul ball", not "foul player".
No puns, please.

[wadeintothem]

Originally Posted by ogie oglethorpe

I'd like to thank everybody for the warm welcome, and for reassuring me that trying to do things the right way, is the right way. Even posts by JimPiano help, because without them I may not have realized the importance of proper mechanics

We should all thank the jimpianos, without umpires like that, people who strive to do it correctly would have no measurement of success.

[mcrowder]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

We should all thank the jimpianos, without umpires like that, people who strive to do it correctly would have no measurement of success.

:O xxx

[Mountaineer]

Hey Ogie, where you'll question it again is down the lines on the 3rd and 1st basemen. You'll see it on bunts and it can be somewhat tricky on a shot that they glove. Remember, as Mike but it - LOCATION, of the ball. One of the guys that trained me locally always says - watch the ball, watch the ball, watch the ball - if you do that, you'll always know fair/foul.

[Dakota]

Also, be thinking "is this fair or foul" rather than "is the player going to catch it". If you are watching for the catch, and the ball is dropped, by the time you realize it has been dropped, you won't know where it was when it was first touched.

[Mountaineer]

Oh yeah, and please don't stand behind the plate and make the call. If at all possible get as far down the line as you can. I like to straddle the line on a fly ball that's on the line. Of course on a ground ball that's a "shot" you don't have that much time, but try not to make that call like you're growing roots back there!

[ogie oglethorpe]

Well I may not have truly known what I was looking for on the play, but at least I found myself a little better than halfway down the line when I made the call