OK.........

This is your mission if you choose to accept it........grin

I was at one of our fields as an evaluator tonight ...... and this is a play that came up..........low level 12U game........

Veteran PU and Rookie BU...............

Nobody on.............ball hit to SS.........BU positions herself per ASA mechanic............ball gets by F3 and the BU does not move inside the diamond on the overthrow and lazily stays to the outfield side of the play and covers 2nd...........PU moves up to cover 3rd............the play DOES go to 3rd and the ball gets by the 3rd baseman...........<b>BUT</b> F7 is covering perfectly and there is a close play at the plate...........

PU has to charge back to home for the play at the plate and does not have a very good angle to make the call............

After the game............we discuss the play............

Our taught mechanics here.........bases empty in FP............

The BU owns the runner to 3rd.............in this case.........the veteran umpire recognized that the BU had <b>NO</b> idea that she should take this play to 3rd, so he slid up the line to cover the play at third (correctly in my book).............

I know with an experienced partner...........that the BU should cover home (although this should not happen in this situation..........FP mechanics).........

The following is not a fair question........since the BU does have the runner to 3rd..........and an inexperience BU at that...........

BUT.........if there is a runner at first..........is it an accepted mechanic in your association for the PU to take a secondary play at third and the BU to be ready to take a tertiary play at the plate?

The reason I am asking is there was some discussion between myself and the Vet after the game tonight.........

He did <b>exactly</b> what he had to do tonight with a rookie partner and made both calls............

<b>BUT</b>, he made the comment that at our State (Tx) school this year, that they taught <b>at no time</b> in 2-man mechanics was the BU to make a call at home...........(this was after I jokingly commented that since he had to cover the BU's play at third........the least she could have done was to cover his back at the plate).....

I did not attend the State School this year because I had attended the National 2 day the year before........

Can any of the numerous Tx umpires verify this teaching..........or did my Vet misunderstand it??

I have always been taught that there are times (although few) that it was acceptable for the PU to cover third and the BU to slip in and cover home in the 2 man system........

Have we been teaching it wrong.........??

Joel



[Edited by Gulf Coast Blue on Apr 2nd, 2002 at 05:58 AM]

Speaking FED.....That's what I was taught in our association... That, when there are multiple runners, the BU will back-up the PU by covering home in the event that the PU was covering 3rd...
I was also taught that the BU covers a single base-runner all the way to and including third. I would have expected, as a BU, to make both of those calls....

I guess my question would be, should the vet have bailed the rookie out in this case? I, personally, would have let her make the call.

"at no time" is an awfully strong condition. ASA mechanics allow umpires to deviate from them when necessary and in some cases this may include the BU backing up his/her partner by covering the plate.

I've seen BU get trapped on a play at 1B and have a hustling PU pick-up the runner going to 2B, and possibly 3B.
I've also seen PU get caught on a muffed play at 3B and not be able to get back to the plate area without crossing the runner's path or getting in the way of the throw.

I believe it is preferable to have the BU cover the plate than worry about what the Umpire's Manual states.

I don't know what they're teaching in TX this year, but in my association, we teach that anytime PU goes to 3rd, the BU moves to home for any possible play there, unless the PU calls him off.

SamC

ASA speaking here in fast-pitch we have been taught pretty much what Mike just said above. That there maybe a few times in certain circumstances that the BU will take the call at home BUT only with communcation and have to situations.


Don

Once the BU is out of position, if able the PU should alter the normal mechanics. What is more important - get the call right while still covering (or recovering) the bases - or - miss the call but know you followed clinic mechanics?


oppool- Are you going to be calling at Heritage this weekend?


Gary

Hey Gary
 

No, James called last night but I am going to have to pass this weekend. My daughter 19th B-day this weekend so I am going to stay home and do that fatherly thing.


Good luck

Don

Thanks for the responses guys............found out that our Area UIC was at this clinic..........so when I hook up with him..........I will get the real skinny.......

Hope it was just something that my buddy got screwed up in translation..........

Joel

Remember what ASA school clinicians have always taught us:
"If you deviate, communicate" The veteran PU should have been communicating to the rookie "you've got the runner to 3rd!" or barring that when PU went to 3rd, "you need to cover the play at home!" Something, not just silence. Rookies are nervous and sometimes petrified on what to do, so you must direct them.