Great 3b line extented position
 

Great look at the winning run in the all star game??

I meant extended...but he was right on top of the play....so it could have been extented!!!:)

Well that play wasn't that close either. ;)

Actually, the catcher's tag was on top of the plate. Since F2 was up the 1B line a bit, PU had an excellent view. However, 1B line extended would have been better for this play.

I just watched the replay...never mind what I said earlier, that was pretty close! I didn't remember it being that close while watching it last night but I had just gotten home from working some SP so maybe I was just worn out. ;)

I don't know, 3rd BLX seems to afford a pretty good view of the swipe tag in this situation.

I only made the comment because of this PARTICULAR play, not as a general comment.

Same here. Why do you think 1st BLX provides a better view for this play?

Because it gave a 90 degree look at Morneau's foot sliding into the plate.

with the remainder of his body in the way that you have to look through to see the plate.

3BL extended all the way on this play and it's not even close.

Did you watch the play?

http://www.eteamz.com/softballumpire...lipboard02.jpg

Other than the fact that the umpire was not 3BLX on the noted play, you are correct that on many swipe tag plays it gives the umpire a decent view. But what happens when the umpire sets up on 3BLX for a play at the plate and the runner slides directly to the plate and the catcher successfully moves entire body to block?

The umpire is going to have to make their best guess. Meanwhile placing yourself to view the area between the catcher and runner and adjusting to the direction of the ball, the umpire is going to be set up for almost any possible play

I'm not sure what to call the umpire's position other than 3rd baseline extended but I think we are discussing the same thing.

I agree, 3BLX is not a good position for all plays at the plate, having to guess is not a fun position to be in.

I would rather have a 90 degree look at the application of the tag.

: Except for the swipe tag...which happens about 90 % of the time on tag plays at home with high caliber players.

Cousins was as close to 3BLX as you could be, without being on an X. If you watch the play and not just one picture...he was almost in the way of the on deck batter trying to help with the slide. HPU was much closer to 3BLX than anywhere else that has a title, and moved slightly to position himself for the play. Textbook!!

Even then, you cannot be sure of where the throw is going to take the catcher. I'll take a position where I know I cannot be blocked out anytime over something where that is a possibility even just 10% of the time.

This pic is pretty close to the view the umpire had. Not much to complain about.

http://www.eteamz.com/softballumpire...lipboard03.jpg

I'm no mechanics zealot; all I was saying was on this one play, they way it happened, a critical piece of information was the line up of Morneau's foot and F2's glove at the leading edge of the plate. Clearly, the PU had a very good look from where he was.

Dakota, I thought we were disagreeing about his positioning?

No, I never said he was in a bad position, only that 1BLX would have been better. Here is my OP:

Great position.

If there was a superior position, the mlb umpires would be in it.

and obviously looking over this play from behind it would be an inferior position.

Short end of of 3BLE exposed in LAA-NYY game

Baseball Video Highlights & Clips | LAA@NYY: Granderson triples twice, throws out Matsui - Video | MLB.com: Multimedia

:eek:

Looks to me like 1B extended would have given the umpire a better angle on this particular call. The catcher's body blocked the umpire's view of much of the play, and 1BE would have, in this case, given the umpire a good 90 to the tag.

This was part of the debate before. 3BLE isn't a "bad" position if the runner cooperates and approaches the plate from an outside path. However, if the runner comes straight into a catcher attempting to block the plate, instead of catching a making a swipe tag, the position sucks.

This umpire moved to his position at the behind the LHBB and never adjusted. This is why we tell umpires the prescribed postion offered in our mechanics is a starting point and you have to allow the developing play take you into the proper position.

Some MLB crews changed up last year and had the PU moving toward the front of the LHBB on a play like this to give them a better angle. Apparently, this guy's crew was not one of them.

I usually start 1BLE, then start swiveling counter-clockwise as the runner comes as I see how the throw is coming. Kinda like taking a string, attaching it to home plate, and moving to 3BLE while keeping the string tight.

Often, it's not just the runner's path that dictates where the umpire should be to get the best view of the play, but where the throw is coming in, where the fielder is, and where the tag is going to be.

For instance, if the catcher moves up into the field towards 1B a little too much, that tag is likely going to come from the 1B side of the plate. Staying 1BLE gives you little to no angle on the play, as the runner's body will block your view of the tag. 3BLE may afford you a better view.

Actually, it was the ideal position. It allowed the umpire to make the expected call favoring the Yankee$ while maintaining his integrity.

With whom? They roasted him on TV. Don't know whether it was ESPN or some other cable channel, but they went to the demonstration field to point out that there was no way the umpire could see the play

Is there a smilie for sarcasm? ;)

Sorry, you threw me by using the word integrity in the same sentence as "Yankee$". :rolleyes:

You need to remember I live in an area where the NCAA, NFL, NBA & MLB sent lawyers to argue in court that gambling would bring their sports integrity into question.:eek: :cool:

And I'm sure that one call cost them the game, right? :rolleyes:

What was the score? 6 to 1? Something like that?

Not defending the Yanks (they've got enough money to do that on their own), just sayin'. :D

No, sir. One call never costs any team any game in any sport. But that isn't the point if the conversation is it? :p

That was a swipe tag. 3BLX is the perfect position for that play pictured.

Swipe tag? Are we watching the same play? The throw came straight to the plate, as did the runner. That, sir, was no swipe tag.

IMO, and I've said it many times... Anytime the catcher is pulled up and the ball is in play towards home and the swipe tag situation is developing, 3BLX is superior, and that is where you should be.

If it develops to a blocking situation, you need to read that and adjust to that. Chances are, for softball mechanics, you would be thinking 90/block, then read a swipe situation and adjust to 3BLX. whereas in baseball they couldnt get to 3BLX fast enough and a bolt of lightening couldnt move them from there. The point is, read and adjust to what is happening in front of you, you arent nailed to the ground.