First Game of the Year: Brutal.

Originally Posted by SRW

Yeah, now all we need is one of our guys to get the 64-0 game out of the way.

Just wait for my first COED rec slowpitch game this spring where the team with nothing for players wins the toss and elects to be home against a team full of ex-college athletes. It'll take the full hour, and we won't even get the 3rd inning in.

[SRW]

The games went fine. Scrimmage / pre-season game with a local CC and a club team from the University of British Columbia. First game on the bases, no issues - other than I was almost burned out behind F6 with a R on 2B. As R took her lead off with the pitch, F4 moved into 2B. F2 threw across to F4 to pick R off. I moved back toward 2B with the throw, then realized after 2 steps that R went to 3B. Luckily F4 bobbled the throw from F1 and there was no play beyond that.

Not bad for first game of the season.

2nd game, I've got the dish. It's right around 40 degrees. This is where all kinds of weird stuff happened:

1. Had to tell F1 that her knee brace needed to be padded.
2. With R on 2B, ground ball to F6, errant throw to F3 drawing off to her left. F3 caught the ball. I hold at HP a second to watch for pulled foot or swipe tag, and just as F3 caught the ball and was pulled off, F2 stepped in my way. My partner didn't make any call, just quickly came to me with "was there a tag?" Hell, I couldn't see a damn thing so I came up with a strong "no". DC decided to talk to us about that one.
3. Called a strike on a batter for a violation of the 10 second rule.
4. Had F4 leave in an ambulance for either breaking her collarbone or dislocating her shoulder after diving for a ball and landing wrong.
5. Had 3 overthrows around the plate in one play, got me bouncing all around the place.

Good games tho. And good Mexican food afterwards.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by SRW

Had With R on 2B, ground ball to F6, errant throw to F3 drawing off to her left. F3 caught the ball. I hold at HP a second to watch for pulled foot or swipe tag, and just at F3 catched the ball and is pulled off, F1 steps in my way. My partner didn't make any call, just quickly came to me with "was there a tag?" Hell, I couldn't see a damn thing so I came up with a strong "no". DC decided to talk to us about that one.

Now there is a conversation I would have enjoyed

[Tru_in_Blu]

Originally Posted by SRW

First game on the bases, no issues - other than I was almost burned out behind F6 with a R on 2B. As R took her lead off with the pitch, F4 moved into 2B. F1 thrrew across to F4 to pick R off. I moved back toward 2B with the throw, then realized after 2 steps that R went to 3B. Luckily F4 bobbled the throw from F1 and there was no play beyond that.

Was this 16" slow pitch?

Ted

[argodad]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

Was this 16" slow pitch?

Ted

[SRW]

Originally Posted by SRW

The games went fine. Scrimmage /pre-season game with a local CC and a club team from the University of British Columbia. First game on the bases, no issues - other than I was almost burned out behind F6 with a R on 2B. As R took her lead off with the pitch, F4 moved into 2B. F1 thrrew across to F4 to pick R off. I moved back toward 2B with the throw, then realized after 2 steps that R went to 3B. Luckily F4 bobbled the throw from F1 and there was no play beyond that.

Not bad for first game of the season.

2nd game, I've got the dish. It's right around 40 degrees. This is where all kinds of weird stuff happened:

1. Had to tell F1 that her knee brace needed to be padded.
2. Had With R on 2B, ground ball to F6, errant throw to F3 drawing off to her left. F3 caught the ball. I hold at HP a second to watch for pulled foot or swipe tag, and just at F3 catched the ball and is pulled off, F1 steps in my way. My partner didn't make any call, just quickly came to me with "was there a tag?" Hell, I couldn't see a damn thing so I came up with a strong "no". DC decided to talk to us about that one.
3. Called a strike on a batter for a violation of the 10 second rule.
4. Had F4 leave in an ambulance for either breaking her collarbone or dislocating her shoulder after diving for a ball and landing wrong.
5. Had 3 overthrows around the plate in one play, got me bouncing all around the place.

Good games tho. And good Mexican food afterwards.

Wow, I wrote that fast. Multiple issues. Ugh. Editing now.

[SRW]

Originally Posted by Tru_in_Blu

Was this 16" slow pitch?

Ted

Uh, no. NCAA fast pitch.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Think you missed his point; your edit shows that, as you didn't fix that issue.

Don't you mean F2 making a pickoff attempt? Most pickoffs by F1 do happen in 16" slow.

[SRW]

Oh jeezus. And to think I was completely sober when I wrote that. Hadn't had any coffee yet - maybe that was the issue.

Yes, F2.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by SRW

Oh jeezus. And to think I was completely sober when I wrote that. Hadn't had any coffee yet - maybe that was the issue.

Yes, F2.

Coffee? In the PNW? Yeah, like I believe you hadn't had any coffee yet!

The only place I've seen a heavier caffeinated town was Missoula, MT.

[SRW]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

Coffee? In the PNW? Yeah, like I believe you hadn't had any coffee yet!

The only place I've seen a heavier caffeinated town was Missoula, MT.

It was perkin' at 8:12am when I wrote it. I got up at 8 and started the pot...

...wait, WTF am I telling you my morning routine for?

[kfo9494]

Originally Posted by SRW

.[*]With R on 2B, ground ball to F6, errant throw to F3 drawing off to her left. F3 caught the ball. I hold at HP a second to watch for pulled foot or swipe tag, and just as F3 caught the ball and was pulled off, F1 stepped in my way. My partner didn't make any call, just quickly came to me with "was there a tag?" Hell, I couldn't see a damn thing so I came up with a strong "no". DC decided to talk to us about that one.

Man that reminds me of a Regional Game I had about five years ago. It was a two out of three toury and had some good teams that had won State Tournaments before.
One out in the last inning, tieing runner on second, batter hits the ball down the first base line- F1 and F2 both are after the ball when F1 gets the ball and throws to F3 way out to the right. Base umpire calls her OUT. The base coach fans go wild saying she pulled her foot. He then comes to me. I swear- I could not tell who's feet was with which player. I had the base runner, F3 and F1 all right at the base and the catcher right in front of me. I had to go along with my buddy.
Due to the crowd there was only two people in the area of the field that did not see her pull her foot and both of them were wearing blue.
The HCoach, a regular State champion, comes running toward me saying you know she pulled her foot. The home fans, players and babies were yelling.
With all respect I told the coach that I was looking down the line but your catcher and pitcher got in the way and to be honest relaly did not see if she pulled her foot.
The Head coach didn't say another word to be and turned to his team saying "Ok lets get the runner home'. Had this been anywhere that I usually call I would have had trouble, but this coach had class.
>
After the game I told him that I was sorry about not seeing her foot and he told me-- If you have said that she did not pull her foot you would of had to throw me out of the game. When you said that you did not see because of players then I knew it was just softball.
One of the few coaches in high school ball that I really respect!

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by kfo9494

Man that reminds me of a Regional Game I had about five years ago. It was a two out of three toury and had some good teams that had won State Tournaments before.
One out in the last inning, tieing runner on second, batter hits the ball down the first base line- F1 and F2 both are after the ball when F1 gets the ball and throws to F3 way out to the right. Base umpire calls her OUT. The base coach fans go wild

That must be one popular coach to have his own fans

saying she pulled her foot. He then comes to me. I swear- I could not tell who's feet was with which player. I had the base runner, F3 and F1 all right at the base and the catcher right in front of me. I had to go along with my buddy.
Due to the crowd there was only two people in the area of the field that did not see her pull her foot and both of them were wearing blue.
The HCoach, a regular State champion, comes running toward me saying you know she pulled her foot. The home fans, players and babies were yelling.
With all respect I told the coach that I was looking down the line but your catcher and pitcher got in the way and to be honest relaly did not see if she pulled her foot.
The Head coach didn't say another word to be and turned to his team saying "Ok lets get the runner home'. Had this been anywhere that I usually call I would have had trouble, but this coach had class.
>
After the game I told him that I was sorry about not seeing her foot and he told me-- If you have said that she did not pull her foot you would of had to throw me out of the game. When you said that you did not see because of players then I knew it was just softball.
One of the few coaches in high school ball that I really respect!

Good call and work between you and partner. Then again, the HC shouldn't have been talking to you, so I assume your partner was there for the conversation.

This is why you never, never lie. If you didn't see the play, you didn't see the play. Lying is one of the quickest way for any sports official to lose their integrity, and not only with the teams and fans.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

That must be one popular coach to have his own fans

Nah, the coach just thinks they're all there for him.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by SRW

[*]With R on 2B, ground ball to F6, errant throw to F3 drawing off to her left. F3 caught the ball. I hold at HP a second to watch for pulled foot or swipe tag, and just as F3 caught the ball and was pulled off, F2 stepped in my way. My partner didn't make any call, just quickly came to me with "was there a tag?" Hell, I couldn't see a damn thing so I came up with a strong "no". DC decided to talk to us about that one.

I was waiting to see if anyone else would comment, but no. Personally, I completely disagree with an umpire that doesn't make his call as required by the mechanics.

Bottom line is simple; that play at 1B belongs to the base umpire. Make a friggin' call!! Your call, your responsibility, make it!! If you think you need help, you can get it, but MAKE YOUR CALL!!

This play is the perfect example why. The call belongs to BU; PU has "help" responsibility for pulled foot and swipe tag. Primary, secondary. Primary now reassigns the call to secondary who was blocked. WRONG!! Secondary now has to answer why he didn't see what wasn't his primary responsibility, while primary gets away with reassigning his responsibility?? Bull$hit. Make YOUR call. If there is help, you can get it, if there isn't help, it was your call.

In my postgame, that would have been said in spades; and you are buying the beer (and that can be expensive when I'm drinking). Do it a second time, and my answer isn't "no tag", my response is "YOUR CALL!!".