Worst Call Ever
 

Okay, which one of you guys currently has the “Worst Call Ever” award? Well, I want it back. During my game the other day the batter hit a double, beat the tag at second, the batter moves off the bag to get a better position, dust off, standup, what ever. While she is off the base, the fielder, who still had possession of the ball, quickly moves her foot to a position between the base and the batter’s foot effectively blocking the bag, and then reapplies the tag. BANG! Now she is out. Out comes the coach. First thing he does is tell the retired batter to stay there, like if I did change my mind I would then call her out for being of the base.
“Whoa! Whoa, blue you can’t make that call,” the coach says as he approaches.
“What call is that coach?” innocently I queried.
“How can she be out, she beat the tag,” he said as he got into his arguing stance, feet part, arms held high and crossed in front of his chest.
“Yes sir, but then the fielder tagged her with the ball while she was not in contact with the base,” I reply as I stand in a modified parade rest (for you slackers or sailors that is with my hands behind my back).
“She pushed her off, she can’t do that.” My mind flashed to one of the biggest travesty in World Series play, when that guy pushed that other guy off first. Hey it was nearly twenty years ago, I remember the play, just not the players.
Shaking my head, “No sir, she did not pusher her off.”
“Then she blocked the base, that’s obstruction.”
Again shaking my head, “No sir, that is not obstruction, the fielder had the ball.”
“So you’re telling me that the runner wanted to be out,” say the coach as he gets a little closer
“I can’t exactly say what she wanted," I say with a who knows kind of smirk, finish with a firm, "but she is out.”
“So she wanted to be out,” turning to address the player. “You wanted to be out?”
The batter weakly shakes her head no.
“Okay, come-on coach let’s play,” I interrupt.
Now here is where things get weird, the coach starts to jog off the field, and the retired batter stays at second. I make an out sign again, and tell the batter that she is out. And wait for her to leave the field. The coach who had not quite got off the field comes back
“I thought we agreed that she was not out blue.”
“No sir we agreed that she was out, because she was tagged while off the base.”
“Well she’s not out.”
“Yes coach she is out, let’s play.” I wait just a fraction of a second and turn smartly (yes that Marine training never leaves) to return to my starting position.
Here it comes … wait for it …the punch line to my story…
“That’s just the worst call I ever saw.”

So, who ever has my award give it back.

This reminds me of the coach who, 46 years ago, came out and told me (then age 14) that the runner I had called out at 2B had confided in him (the coach) that he really was safe. I said, "No, he was out." The coach responded, "Are you calling my player a liar?"

As far as making the worst call ever goes, I'm accused of that several times a year.

You may want to review a post I made back in 2006:

Mon Mar 27, 2006, 10:31pm
MichaelVA2000
Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 697

I'm BU and the home team coach has been chirping about a couple of close call made by my partner and myself that didn't go his way. I'd already heard "that's one Blue!" After the second close call I hear "C'mon Blue, that two that's been missed!" I tell the coach to knock it off and I don't want to hear the word three come out of his mouth. A couple innings later with a runner on first, batter gets a base hit and there is a close play on R1 at third where my partner calls her safe. As the next batter is stepping into the batter's box I hear the coach yelling from the home team dugout, three.....three....three!! I called time, went to the dugout and tossed the coach. Coach had much to say, but I'd moved out to the C position as my partner rodeo clowned him off the field. When I eject someone, they're dead...and I don't talk to dead people.

During our postgame chat my partner shares with me that the coach was actually calling out a set play they have for situations with runners on first and third. F6 (#3) comes into the diamond for a short throw from F2.

All I could say was, I warned him that I didn't want to hear the word three!

1991
Kent Hrbek playing 1B for the Minnesota Twins
Ron Gant, runner at 1B for the Atlanta Braves

IT WAS A GREAT PLAY BY HRBEK!:D;):p

Speaking of liars...

I had once tossed a player for calling me a "jack@$$" during a game. He swore to the coach he didn't do anything wrong, but a couple nights afterward, he was having a brew with his coach, and he said, "well, I might've said something like that."

Coach gave him a one game suspension for lying to him, on top of the one game suspension the league gave him for getting tossed. :D

Thanks, coach!

I grew up in Colorado before baseball and cable TV, when I moved out on my own WTBS was one of the first stations that continuously exposed me to the game, so I cut my baseball teeth on NL teams, so I was rooting for Atlanta then. The travesty statement stays.:p

Well, coach, if the player isn't telling the truth........

Did you eject the coach at this point? If you didn't, I applaud your patience! I would have tossed her as soon as he made the remark I've highlighted in red. That would have been enough to me that he was showing me up.

For me, it would've been at this point. Once I say, "let's play," it's done. If the coach or player continues to challenge me after this, I usually interpret this as an attempt to show me up, but we all have our own different limits.

"Coach, goodbye."

Well, coach, wouldn't want to ruin the excitement of witnessing the worst call you ever saw by allowing you the opportunity to see another, so you better leave now!

PFFFFFTT

We umpires will be the judge of that and...

You didnt even rate a "That was horrible" or "Let the girls decide the game"?

Your weak sauce call deserves no award.

Try again next time.

:cool:

What can we say, Wade, making an entire team of girls cry on command and laughing in the face of a coach is a lofty goal to achieve! :D

I believe there was also something about young ladies sprawled on the ground crying.....

Wade= evil bastid

I must say find it hard to believe and dare I say a little offensive he is trying to take my title with this lil ole call. Until you got riots, newspapers, sprawled wailing girls devestated for life literally spontaneously preaborting en masse their first borns right on the field...

Please step aside, the king of the worst call still reigns.

Wade,

Would you mind posting your title situation?

Thanks, Ron