Blown Call From This Fall

[NCASAUmp]

I think this is a perfect case of having clearly understood mechanics and clear delegations of responsibilities when multiple umpires are on the field. Some associations don't do a good enough job of making sure that everyone knows what part they have on the field and when that part gets handed off to someone else.

I agree that it would have been best if he had decided to go out (I'm thinking staying in foul territory to keep out of the way, but also to get a good angle on the play), as there were no other runners on base. One umpire can handle one runner.

But the bottom line is that you had it right: the BU had button hooked into the field, which means it's now 100% yours. You also did the right thing by conferring with your partner.

It annoys me to no end when partners make signals for calls that aren't theirs to make. Even if the call's the same as mine, it's a bad practice to engage in on the field.