First Game of the Year: Brutal.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

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!!".

Steve - I am going to respectfully disagree with you to a point.

In SRW's play the BU was not giving up his call, he was asking for the last piece of the puzzle he needed to make the call. Coming from C position in a two-umpire system, the angle for that is terrible, as I'm sure you are aware. The BU is asking a yes or no question to get that last piece of information to make the call. This is actually the way that Emily taught me as I was learning many years ago. I understand that the philosphy has changed somewhat as evidenced by the quote from the ASA book.

I completely agree that the BU should not point to the PU and completely give up the call, however, I don't see the issue with asking the BU for that last piece of information needed.

That being said, Mike's point about baserunners still moving around the bases is valid and if that is the case the BU needs to be aware and make a call at first, let the play finish, then go for help if needed.

I'm saying that this method is useful on a case-by-case basis.