Opinions, please

[BlitzkriegBob]

NSA tournament, but the rule set isn't important. This is more of a "How would you have handled this?" question. R1 on 2B, 2 outs, B2 his a ball up the middle to the left of the SS. SS is bowled over by R1, and while I quickly process this information and am ready to come up with an interference call, the BU beats me to the call, except his call is obstruction. What would you do at this point?

This is what I did: I quickly decided to let the play finish out, thinking to myself we can get together after the play and fix this if we need to. The play ends up with R1 on 3B, and BR on 1B. DC comes out to question my partner, who quickly and adamantly tells the coach that F1 touched the ball. I'm standing by, ready to offer help on this, but partner is taking control, not looking at me for help, and DC quickly accepts the explanation, even though F1 is shaking her head indicating she did not touch the ball. As DC retreats to the dugout, I'm already wondering if I should step in, but I don't. Inning ends with next batter making the third out. DC does come to me after the next half inning asking me if F1 had touched the ball, and I just told him it was too late to talk about that call. After the game, BU and I discuss the call, and I tell him I didn't think F1 touched the ball, and that I was ready to call interference. He shrugs, and the conversation is over.

Should I have immediately killed the ball? Should I have stepped as soon the play was over? Should I have stepped in when the DC came out?

Thanks!

[wadeintothem]

I think you handled it perfectly. One single bad call in a game is one thing... destroying partner cohesion and credibility is another.

This is BU's call. Period. He can come to you if he needs help... and maybe he should have. It sure would be a tough pill to turn OBS into INT though... he made his call, I'm of the mind he must eat it.

If PU needs to make a call in this case, it needs to be delayed and assessed to see what BU is going to do, not just quickly made... even though PU can make a call here, I dont favor that.

[wadeintothem]

I just remembered a similar play from the end of last year.. R1 @ 1 I'm PU.. I have a very good and experienced partner - and grounder to F4 with possible INT between R1/F4. To me it was dead on balls INT. No doubt. To just about everyone there it was INT.

My partner waved it off safe and I of course made no call. He got his talking to.. and we went on. Thankfully he didnt come to me.

So at post game, I was like WTF. His explanation indicated to me that even though I disagreed, he had a pretty thorough understanding of INT. He simply didnt see it as INT and that was that.

Anyway, I still disagree with his noncall, but the worst thing I could have done in that case (and this was a Fall ball NCAA game) would have been to jump on my partners call. The coach would have had a heart attack, the evaluator, my partner, everyone (including these very knowledgable coaches) would have known I was a goof ball jumping on my partners call... You shouldnt even consider making it IMO.

Not only because of partner cohesion, letting everyone know you two are goofballs, but also maybe you are wrong! Why is your opinion of the play more valid than his?

Again, great non call on your part.

[HugoTafurst]

I'm not sure that the ball "touching" F1 would make a difference.

Still, I agree that you should not have inserted yourself into the conversation.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

NSA tournament, but the rule set isn't important.

Originally Posted by HugoTafurst

I'm not sure that the ball "touching" F1 would make a difference.

Well, it may. Speaking ASA, the runner's interference would have to be intentional on a deflected batted ball. (8.7.J.4)

I cannot find any such exception in NSA.

Still, I agree that you should not have inserted yourself into the conversation.

Yep, same here.

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by BlitzkriegBob

DC does come to me after the next half inning asking me if F1 had touched the ball, and I just told him it was too late to talk about that call.

Good answer. You did the best you could with this situation.

[KJUmp]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

I just remembered a similar play from the end of last year.. R1 @ 1 I'm PU.. I have a very good and experienced partner - and grounder to F4 with possible INT between R1/F4. To me it was dead on balls INT. No doubt. To just about everyone there it was INT.

My partner waved it off safe and I of course made no call. He got his talking to.. and we went on. Thankfully he didnt come to me.

So at post game, I was like WTF. His explanation indicated to me that even though I disagreed, he had a pretty thorough understanding of INT. He simply didnt see it as INT and that was that.

Anyway, I still disagree with his noncall, but the worst thing I could have done in that case (and this was a Fall ball NCAA game) would have been to jump on my partners call. The coach would have had a heart attack, the evaluator, my partner, everyone (including these very knowledgable coaches) would have known I was a goof ball jumping on my partners call... You shouldnt even consider making it IMO.

Not only because of partner cohesion, letting everyone know you two are goofballs, but also maybe you are wrong! Why is your opinion of the play more valid than his?

Again, great non call on your part.

And a good non call on your part Wade. Curious...what (if anything) did the evaluator have to say about the call?

[BlitzkriegBob]

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

If PU needs to make a call in this case, it needs to be delayed and assessed to see what BU is going to do, not just quickly made... even though PU can make a call here, I dont favor that.

Delaying and assessing is what I always do, so thanks for reinforcing that for me. I do have a question though...are you saying that this call belongs first to the BU? I've made this call as a BU, but I've also had to make it as a PU when I know it's either OBS or INT but my partner is only giving me the deer in the headlights look.

Originally Posted by wadeintothem

Not only because of partner cohesion, letting everyone know you two are goofballs, but also maybe you are wrong! Why is your opinion of the play more valid than his?

That's exactly what was going through my mind at that point in time. I had a good partner who had been my UIC for another tournament, so my first thought was maybe he saw something I didn't.

I brought this situation here because in discussing it with a couple of other umpires during my next break, one was not sure what she would have done and the other was adamant that I should have killed it with an INT call. Now I feel good about the way I handled it.

[BlitzkriegBob]

Originally Posted by SethPDX

Good answer. You did the best you could with this situation.

The coach didn't like that answer. He gave me a very stern "That's not what I asked" and ended up walking away shaking his head when I repeated myself.