Working Alone.. one of those plays
 

So working alone modified game. Bases loaded, no outs. Girl hits s sharp single up the middle. Runner from second is coming home to score. So I am holding up the third baseline waiting for a throw to home. Well the girl going to second is not the swiftest runner. The center fielder throws to second to get he force.

OK, my problem.... The short stop, then the second baseman, standing on second, and the center fielder are in PERFECT alignment. I can not even see the second baseman take the throw. Never mind when the throw got there.

Since I had no knowledge of the ball beating the runner, I had to call her safe. Of course place goes nuts, unless u were behind me..lol

I know not it sucks..my question???

Would anyone call the runner out just going on fielders reaction? be the way the runner stayed on base.

P.S. I know I am not leaving the runners coming home, so I am never going to get any closer to second.

I don't think distance from the play is your issue.

Agreed. Whoever is sending just one umpire to cover a modified game is n-v-t-s, NUTS!

Look, you do the best you can. While I don't normally advocate "guessing an out," sometimes, you have to use timing to kind of fill in the blanks when, at the last moment, you get blocked.

And hey, who's to say it was a bad call? Sure, the place went nuts, but there have been PLENTY of times when I KNOW I made the right call, only to have the entire crowd go nuts. They have their angle, you have yours. Are they right? Sometimes, but not always.

Agree with both above, but this is a conceptual question. No, we can't call runners out "just going on fielders reaction", especially with the runner staying.
Angle is more important than distance as Mike implied. Personally, working alone tend to get into infield part way to PP, regardless of where runners are. In the OP, R1 will score. A throw home from center to get R2 can be covered from inside as that will be the ball side. And might have an angle on the play at 2nd. If not, then still safe as above.

When I worked alone on slow-pitch or modified, at the plate meeting I would inform the coaches that certain "umpire" rules were in effect.
1) I always cover home first
2) I call what I see
3) I will eject anyone who charges me
4) I will discuss any call with the Head Coach only
5) The Head Coach is responsible for removing anyone ejected
6) the game is suspended until the ejected person is out of sight

Almost all of my solo games were on time limits.

It was surprising how both teams would "help" the ejected person leave! :D

I was getting so many ejections that I finally stopped doing solo games.:rolleyes:

Yeah, single-umpire games are just setting you up for failure. Doesn't matter the level, doesn't matter the umpire, failure is ALWAYS an option if given enough time.

I agree with moving up closer to the PP. You'll have an easier time getting to the angles on the field at the different bases. The book wants us outside and halfway up 3BL when covering tag-up plays on a runner at 3B, but that's about it. Get inside as best you can (without getting in the way), and try to work the angles from inside the diamond.

Regardless, in your sitch, you had to make a call. No different from any other call you'll make on the field: some will love it, some will hate it, and they can just get over it. Single umpire games will inevitably have some plays like this, and the players and fans just need to suck it up and accept it...


...or stop being so damn cheap and pay for a second umpire.

I guess I'm having a hard time imagining this happening. There's no way F8 should be blocking your view, but I also have a hard time seeing how F6 would be blocking you since normally they would be out acting as a cut-off or relay.

Not as a criticism, but from that distance it seems like if you are keeping your eyes on the ball that you should have been able to recognize that a play was being made at 2B and that you could have taken even just a couple of steps to get an unobstructed view, assuming that you didn't have a confused F6 step into your view at the last second. Even if that were the case, if it's not a bang-bang play there's nothing stopping you from improving your angle after she steps in front of you. As Mike says, it's not your distance from second that was the issue.

Don't forget "any call you don't like was my partner's".

I can visualize the alignment, with F4 covering 2nd, F6 trying to cutoff the throw to home, and F8 just happening to be aligned with the imaginary line between them. Again, being part way to PP, 1st base side puts you off that sight line.
Of course, there will be blocked plays no matter how many umps there are, but one has always been nonsense.

Solo
 

I was working a Slow-pitch tourney, the 4th of July Firecracker in Middletown Ohio, one year and I had to eject a player. The player wanted to argue. I informed the HC that he had one minute to have the player out of the dugout or it was a forfeit. As the team had paid a lot of money to be there, THEY ALL helped him leave.

I called three strikes on him and he did not like any of the pitches. He got argumentative on the third call. I called for the next batter and he refused to leave the batters box. I ejected him and informed the Head Coach the player had to leave.:eek:

The HC walked him to the dugout and the player started throwing things out onto the field.:confused: He came back out of the dugout. At this point I told the coach he had 60 second to remove the player.:( The coach and two other players "helped" him leave.

The Tourney director was standing outside of the fense with his phone in his hand ready to call the PD.

I think he mentioned where F8 was only to explain that the throw was coming straight towards him from F8 to F4.

F6 is apparently in the infield, he described it as a "sharp single up the middle", so no time or need for F6 to go out to cutoff, if there had been time for that, R2 would have been camped on 2B, I don't care how slow she is. So F6 is blocking his view of F4 and 2B in general. F6 probably should have been moving to cutoff the throw home, but apparently did not.

I know it seems like I'm picking on you ... trust me, that's not my intent...

But I strongly believe even saying the word ejection at the plate conference is extremely confrontational. I cringe when I have a partner do this. You can get your point across without talking about ejections.

One other thing I was taught early on - coaches are not responsible for the number of umpires / officials at their games. Bringing up the fact that they are going to get subpar officiating because we (the officials) are shorthanded is not really fair to them.

Also - if you're getting that many ejections - perhaps there's something else wrong here. Just 1 or 2 a year is a lot.

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.

Game over. And leave through the VC's dugout.

This is one of the main reasons I quit doing adults ... but from this and other comments, you have a league that's WAY out of bounds regarding what it expects from it's players.

Mike,

In southwest Ohio except for the finals in tourney games we all do solo for Sow-pitch at all ages.

I have worked more than 5000 slow-pitch ASA/USSSA/NSA games over the years and ejections were only mentioned in men's games.

I still do youth and church league slow-pitch games but have stopped doing any local men/co-ed leagues. I primarily do ASA/USSA/NFHS fast-pitch now.:D

Around here, the vast, vast majority of our fastpitch games are single umpire, even men's fastpitch. We'll get the occasional tournament championship that uses 2, and we are just starting to see some tournaments advertising 2 umpire crews as a benefit for their tournament. Point being, this is a decision made by the leagues, local clubs and associations to save money. It has nothing to do with umpire shortages. While not all coaches are involved in this decision, some (or even most) probably are. Even so, I never bring this up at the plate meeting (what's the point?), but I will if I start to catch grief about a missed call at 2B, etc.

Single Man
 

I've found over the years that working a single umpire in any game is unfair to the teams playing the game. One umpire can't possibly cover enough. Its bad enough when you have two umpires. Unfortunately, most leagues "can't afford" two umpires.

Having said that, when I'm forced to work as a single umpire I try as much as possible to get into the middle of the diamond without being in the way. With bases loaded and a ball hit to the outfield the likelyhood of a play at the plate is minimal. You're more likely going to have a play at 2nd or 3rd. I would suggest moving out in front of the plate somewhere near the pitching rubber offline of where the throw to the plate...if there is one.

I had a situation come up in a single umpire game where an outfielder went to make a shoe string catch with a runner on 3rd tagging up. Just as the ball got to the outfielder the pitcher crossed in front of me. I had no choice but to call "no catch". When the pitcher heard my call he immediately turned to me to object. He also the realized what had happened. He said "I got in your way didn't I"...Yep!

Sucks having to call one man.

Here is a shocker. Our local complex runs all games with one man (or woman) except for when training newbies. Last night I am working and so I always go out to where the action is, by 2nd or 3rd or wherever you know. One of the pitchers actually asked me how many times I planned on doing that. :confused: I told him I was sure he wanted me to see the plays........typically it is the other way around with them complaining about the umps NOT moving out from behind the plate.

Just can't win. lol

Hey DepUIC... email me at mike at imstoday dot com - curious which part of Houston you're in.

I think that at the younger ages / abilities, 1 umpire can easily call the game if they move around. Any 8U, and all but the very best 10U generally just need 1 - an adult umpire is generally much faster than any of the baserunners and the ball doesn't move very fast either. Above that including adult slowpitch, you really need 2 or you're simply going to miss stuff.

true but our local league just doesn't "budget" for it.......and most of the newbies only get one or two nights of flying with a veteran before they are turned loose on their own.........it is sometimes very ugly

Well, then that league is just setting umpires up to fail. Training is crucial, and to subject a rookie to that kind of situation without the proper training and guidance is just absurd.

I agree, and it is a sad thing to watch. This is my first year certified and in uniform. I have umpired for years on a volunteer basis. It amazes me how much some of these new "young" umpires think that they know. I'm not saying that "young" umpires can't know their stuff, I'm saying that experience is a big plus and you really only get that through time.

Speaking as an umpire who started at the age of 15, yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

Took me a LONG time to "get it."

I mean no insult to any of you young fellers on the board by any means. lol ;)

Besides, the "oldies" sure have some good stories they've gathered over the years to tell. haha

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

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.

Apparently there's new slang here that I'm going to attempt to use correctly for the first time...

1+

"Common sense?" :confused:

:D

Hey Mike, you blew it. I believe the correct term is...

+1 :p

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

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.

Not bad for your 10,000th post. :eek: :D

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

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

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.

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

:eek: 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:p), follow the ball.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Distance isn't the issue[/quote]

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]

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.

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

Think I will stay with the manual.

Where does one find this 1-man mechanic manual?

What are the chances...
 

of there being a play at the plate with multiple runners on base on a fly ball or ground ball to the outfield? Almost zero! Get out into the middle of the infield because the more likely play with be at 2nd or 3rd base.

I agree, but the main reason I'm staying foul (or nearly foul) and trying to get my best angle on 2nd and 3rd is so that I can still see the touch of home.

ASA 2010 Umpire Manual, pages 252-254, but there is an error.

B is for a runner on 1B.
C is with runners on 1B & 2B
D is with bases under the influence.

I (and others) couldnt disagree with you more... with MULTIPLE runners.. lets say first and second... it is MUCH more likely that youre going to have an issue at third of the plate... and you DONT want to be in a position to where you have to GUESS at either one of those....