Clearly retreating WHEN the PU calls the out is irrelevant, don't you think? Aren't most baserunners past first base when you call the out? What matters is the umpire on the spot's perception of "immediately". I agree it was borderline, but I think one could make just as good an argument FOR this particular call as against it, and this thread could have been about how they missed an LBR in such a big game had she not called it.

Yes, yes, yes, you are right about the word WHEN. I'm glad that as an official I'm not judged about the words I write. Still - after looking at it (yet again today) it's still a bad call. Ever been accused of making a call (or not making one) to hurry up and get the game over?

Hmmmm, I wonder if she was being paid off like Tim Donaghy?:D

There aren't enough :D in the world to make that funny! :(

Larry:

Knowing Dora and knowing her professionalism and commitment to the game I am offended by the so called joke.

Just don't go there.:mad:

Rachel, it is a joke, plain and simple. Tasteless? Maybe, but whether you like it or not, he's allowed.

Honestly, I'm already dreading how often we will hear this in softball, baseball, football this next year. I SURE don't need it from a fellow official. Bad taste.

Of course we are all allowed to say things, but there are limits, even for those who are never offensive before.

And Rachel and I and mcrowder are allowed to dislike it, be offended by it and see it is inappropriate and certainly not funny.

I am also offended by this comment. Even as a joke this has no business on this board. If I heard this on the field about myself or my partners, there would be an immediate ejection even if it was a joke. This comment has no business being here.

Larry White

And you are equally allowed to be offended. Then again, there isn't a joke out there about an individual that may not offend someone, but you know what? They, too, are allowed.

Personally, I thought it was hillarious. I read it as a statement in jest with all the latest brouhaha about the former NBA referee and not an insinuation that Dora, or any other softball umpire, was on the take.

Thank you Mike for seeing through my comment. Of course I didn't mean she was on the take - OMG! If she were, she would have made more bad calls. It was totally a joke taking her meaningless call and jokingly implying that the whole game hinged on it. Of course it was a joke - who would have cared about this game to bet on it? The Japanese mafia???? Sheeeeeeeesh!

the Tim Donaghy joke isn't nearly as offensive as things I see and hear other day concerning our avocation. It's much more offensive to see things on this board that besmirch the good name of umpiring, from lack of knowledge to lack of hustle to lack of uniform, ad infinitum.

Let's invest the air we suck in on fixing the REAL problems, then we can worry about whether Tim Donaghy jokes amongst us umpires should be tolerated.

(Of course, the first coach to bring that up is GONE quicker than my 14th ex-wife.)

Look, Irish, don't you think you'll get to 6000 posts soon enough without such tactics (five nearly identical posts)?:D

My rule book says immediately as well. I beleave that leaves it up to the umpires judgment of what is immediately. For me, having a set peroid of time (around two seconds) gives each team the same chance to return or advance to a base. Once you call the dead ball, even if at that point the runner has started moving you have already made the call.

I think the ump was just making sure the "point spread/runs scored" would not be over the betting line....I'm sure I saw a few mobsters down near the front row behind the plate umpire.

Please, don't feed the troll.