Should Umpires correct unchallenged mistakes?

[bkbjones]

A long time ago in a faraway land called Texas, I was taught a similar mechanic: watch the feet, listen for the ball to hit the glove. The man who taught me was a former major league umpire who gave up his career to save his marriage.

That's the mechanic I used for a long time. I was a darn good baseball umpire, called umpteen thousand games including college ball.

Then, after a forced "retirement" of a few years, I came back. First thing I learned was the unbreak that habit of watching/listening. In the baseball rule book, the advice to umpires is to "watch the ball everlastingly." Softball rule books say pretty much the same thing.

One thing is certain: you don't have a play if you don't watch the ball. I firmly believe that with proper mechanics you CAN watch the ball, follow it into the glove or wherever it goes, and still nail the play at 1B. It even works if the ball is a one-hopper to CF who throws out the batter-runner on a bang-bang play. All of the young ladies involved play D1 softball, and it was a thing of beauty.

Also, your fellow Canuck Gil the Thrill says don't watch/listen.