Working Alone.. one of those plays

[MD Longhorn]

All this jargon you young'uns come up with ... I can't keep up. SNAP!

[snorman75]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Working alone sucks, but I would question heading up the third base line on a ball to the OF. Your better angle is going to be up the first base line MOST of the time. Especially for watching multiple bases. From up the 3BL, your peripheral angle to see home and 3rd at the same time is huge. From up the 1BL, it's tiny and you're still in a great spot for a call at home.

That said, you can get straightlined from ANYWHERE. The key is to see it coming and move. You should try to never be in the same line as the throw, first off.

And then ... with THAT said - you could still be straightlined. So to answer that part of your question, I believe you need to take everything you can into account and give it proper weight. I would have been relying on sound on this play if possible - you can usually hear the ball hit the glove and see the runner - and make a call from that. I would heavily discount the reaction of the fielder unless they react as if the runner was safe... and I would discount the reaction of the runner unless they react as if they were out.

Love this idea!!! I am going to try this.. being a basketball official also, I will not lie I just can't put players behind me. I think being up the first baseline will greatly lessen the chance of being strait lined. But no way can I put home plate behind me. For me you have to see the run score and now you have turned your back to the whole field and the ball.

As for how this all set up, it was modified, so F6 was not thinking about cutting a throw off, F8 had already gunned one home the last inning in same situation, so my read was no question coming home. Also in that this was the first time F4 covered second all game...

Last point.. I know our schools and leagues are really hurting for money. We better get use to going one man games. Our baseball board does one man games at the JV level. How I do not know, but I feel for those guys.

[SethPDX]

Originally Posted by IRISHMAFIA

There is no way I would mention any of this at a pre-game meeting. I'm not giving a clinic. For one reason is that it is common sense and applies even if you have six umpires on the field.

Not to mention that it sounds like you are making excuses for being alone before the teams are even on the field

Not bad for your 10,000th post.

[celebur]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Well... many self-respecting umpires wouldn't be caught dead working a league where they are set up to fail. So not only do you get just 1, you get 1 that can't or won't find work elsewhere. Not to say this means that all of your umpires are bad ... just means you're going to attract bad ones (or there will be no one there to make the bad ones better, at the very least).

A league that devalues the role of umpire this much is simply going to get what it pays for, I guess.

I would add that working a lot of solo games also leads to slower development of umpires. Being the lone wolf means you don't benefit from post-game discussions with your partner(s), and you don't make the connections you need within your association to learn what you should be learning.

Unless such an umpire is dedicated enough to work around this, or unless the evaluators within the association are keen enough to get out there and help such umpires along, doing a lot of solo games tends to develop umpires that are content to coast along where they're at.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by celebur

I would add that working a lot of solo games also leads to slower development of umpires. Being the lone wolf means you don't benefit from post-game discussions with your partner(s), and you don't make the connections you need within your association to learn what you should be learning.

Unless such an umpire is dedicated enough to work around this, or unless the evaluators within the association are keen enough to get out there and help such umpires along, doing a lot of solo games tends to develop umpires that are content to coast along where they're at.

amen

[KJUmp]

One benefit to working alone...you never have to worry about what type of partner you'll be working with.

[Stu Clary]

So I'm working a JV game a few years ago. Varsity always has two umpires, JV typically gets one, the exception being cross-town rivalry games. Anyway, R1 at second base, outs don't matter. Ground ball to F6. I clear the catcher, see F6 field the ball...then did the idiotic. Did I "Let the ball take me to the play"? No. Of course not. The Amazing Idiot Umpire looks to 1B. Sure. I mean, that's what the shortstops going to do, right? Throw to first?

I see F3 ready for a throw....and then relax. No throw. Panic! Where's the ball??? I look at 2B. R1 is on her belly, right hand on the bag. F4 has the ball in her glove, resting on the back of R1's wrist. They're both looking at me, waiting for a call.

I did the first thing that came to mind. Overhand sell out.

OC (in 3B coaches box) went bananas. I ended up dumping her - she didn't give me a choice - but I let her get her money's worth first.

[Stu Clary]

Oh...I just re-read this. I guess I should add that I learned a valuable lesson that day.

[charliej47]

Back when I was young and thought that I could be anywhere at anytime, I did a LOT of Slow-pitch ball.

I can remember almost always getting to the pitching circle in time to make any calls and to always (almost), follow the ball.

As I got older and started doing fast-pitch, I would only do the 12U and under by myself.

[AtlUmpSteve]

snorman 75;

A few points to make here, First off, you and the rest of your New York area buddies need to understand that ONLY YOU call a middle school game "modified". When you post "modified" on a national site, everyone else assumes you mean what the ASA and national term is; modified is an adult game similar to fastpitch, with some pitching restrictions. So, all the people that were outraged about you working one-man didn't understand that this is a 6th to 8th grade middle school game, generally of 12B caliber play. As such, while one-man isn't ideal, it is generally workable by anyone with reasonable skills.

Second, never guess an out. If there is some overriding factor that leads you to believe "out" is the right call, fine, but a pure guess is unacceptable. If you didn't see an out, the runner is safe. As an aside, I use the similarity to law to understand that you can often not be 100% sure; but use the civil requirement of a "preponderance of evidence" when making your call, require "beyond a reasonable doubt" before suggesting to a partner that s/he change a call already made. What you describe meets neither of these, so "safe" should have been the call.

Finally, when you ask how you could have avoided the problem, you were told you had to leave the plate area (where there was no play), to get where you would have an angle and be nearer the apparent plays. You responded that your basketball background told you that you coluld let no one get behind you. Well, you are destined to repeat, and will never fix the problem if you stick with what didn't (and won't) work. Stay in the same place next time, and you will have the same problem. You must get to where you can see all likely plays, and your priority is THE MOST LIKELY play. If you had headed to the first base side of the pitching circle, you would have been able to look back to see the lead runner(s) touch home, and could have worked back toward home if a play developed there. At the same time, you would have had a better angle (and the ability to close to any possible play) at any other base.

So, if you want help, listen to the suggestions, and buy into the advice of those who know what they are talking about. If you want us to tell you it is OK that you didn't get a good position when you could have, you won't hear that here, as we are our own worst critics.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by AtlUmpSteve

snorman 75;

Finally, when you ask how you could have avoided the problem, you were told you had to leave the plate area (where there was no play), to get where you would have an angle and be nearer the apparent plays. .... You must get to where you can see all likely plays, and your priority is THE MOST LIKELY play.

I'm going to take a different angle then Steve. I'm not entering and crossing the infield. I've seen too many times as a player and umpire where he goes running out into the infield for the MOST LIKELY play only to have it go elsewhere and damn near take one in the head.

That doesn't mean I am standing at the plate. I will move to the best angle to possible plays and only when I can determine where the ball is going will I consider entering the field without crossing a runners path to do so.

[azbigdawg]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Working alone sucks, but I would question heading up the third base line on a ball to the OF. Your better angle is going to be up the first base line MOST of the time. Especially for watching multiple bases. From up the 3BL, your peripheral angle to see home and 3rd at the same time is huge. From up the 1BL, it's tiny and you're still in a great spot for a call at home.
That said, you can get straightlined from ANYWHERE. The key is to see it coming and move. You should try to never be in the same line as the throw, first off.

And then ... with THAT said - you could still be straightlined. So to answer that part of your question, I believe you need to take everything you can into account and give it proper weight. I would have been relying on sound on this play if possible - you can usually hear the ball hit the glove and see the runner - and make a call from that. I would heavily discount the reaction of the fielder unless they react as if the runner was safe... and I would discount the reaction of the runner unless they react as if they were out.

I would tend to disagree... with MULTIPLE runners you are MUCH more likely to have a play at home or third than any other base one a ball to the outfield. WHY would you take yourself away from that by going up the 1st base line. Go to the holding area between 3b and Home... and react from there...

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by azbigdawg

I would tend to disagree... with MULTIPLE runners you are MUCH more likely to have a play at home or third than any other base one a ball to the outfield. WHY would you take yourself away from that by going up the 1st base line. Go to the holding area between 3b and Home... and react from there...

Not to mention the importance of the call in prioritized order. I'd rather miss a call at 2B than at the plate, but I'd also rather miss a call at 1B than at 2B.

You are only one umpire and you are NOT going to see every angle of every play. You could be working a 6-umpire game and still not see every angle of every play.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by azbigdawg

I would tend to disagree... with MULTIPLE runners you are MUCH more likely to have a play at home or third than any other base one a ball to the outfield. WHY would you take yourself away from that by going up the 1st base line. Go to the holding area between 3b and Home... and react from there...

Several reasons. First off... walking up the first base line a bit instead of third takes you no further from home - your ability to be in position for a play there is at worst identical from the 1st base side as the 3rd base side. Second, if you're up the 3BL in or near the holding area (a great place to be if you have a partner, a horrible place to be alone) - you can't possibly see what's going on at both 3rd base and home. From the 1st base side, that's easy. Third, along the first base line there's no chance of you getting in the way of a runner or a throw, whereas along the 3BL there's a chance of both (more likely the runner, obviously).

The better proximity to third doing what you suggest is not enough to outweigh all of those things. It's been said here multiple times that angle is FAR more important ... doubly so when working alone. You have great angles on all 3 possible bases where plays might happen when you're up the 1BL, and it's far easier to see all touches, all possible OBS's from there than up the 3BL.

[IRISHMAFIA]

Originally Posted by mbcrowder

Several reasons. First off... walking up the first base line a bit instead of third takes you no further from home - your ability to be in position for a play there is at worst identical from the 1st base side as the 3rd base side.

Distance isn't the issue[/quote]

Second, if you're up the 3BL in or near the holding area (a great place to be if you have a partner, a horrible place to be alone) - you can't possibly see what's going on at both 3rd base and home. From the 1st base side, that's easy

Actually, it isn't as difficult as you think as it all depends on where you are in the holding zone. On 1BL, you are not even going to have a shot to see the runners touch all the bases as I will in the holding zone. Been doing this for 44 years, so I pretty much has this part down. And, yes, some field restraints may force me closer to the line than I want to be and I adjust, but not by going into the field.[quote]

Third, along the first base line there's no chance of you getting in the way of a runner or a throw, whereas along the 3BL there's a chance of both (more likely the runner, obviously).

Really? How is that going to happen in foul territory away from the throw whereas to get into a decent position for a play at home or 3rd, you have no choice to move into a possible conflict if the fielder doesn't go to the obvious play.

The better proximity to third doing what you suggest is not enough to outweigh all of those things. It's been said here multiple times that angle is FAR more important ... doubly so when working alone. You have great angles on all 3 possible bases where plays might happen when you're up the 1BL, and it's far easier to see all touches, all possible OBS's from there than up the 3BL.

And how well does that work on a ball to the right side?

Think I will stay with the manual.