CWS FL-AZ plate umpire
 

Did anyone see the press confrence of the FL player complaining about the plate umpire in monday's game? She admitted that they lost, but stated that the plate umpire was inconsistant and should be re-evaluated.

14-4. It was the umpire's fault. Come on girl, grow up and show some class. :(

I'm not surprised. She is a direct reflection of her coach. Tim Walton was pissing and moaning about the strike zone throughout the entire tournament. He was given a very long leash in that regard. He should have been tossed at least once for it.

I also find it ironic that the player who was complaining about the zone struck out swinging on a pitch at her eyes to end game 2.

I don't blame umpires for losses, but I also don't blame her for swinging at that high pitch seeing how it sure looked like an inconsistent strike zone. I wasn't at all impressed with PU in the first game of the 2 out of 3 final. That one that she said she heard hit the bat was terrible. No way should of that batter had to come back to bat. Dave

Come on shipwreck. If you are an umpire, don't tell me you never have saw or heard (or didn't) something that didn't actually happen. Then latter told by your partner or UIC that they had something different. Give me a break.

To me the only way her comment holds any weight if the came back in game two and held close or destroyed ASU.

Those things have happened to almost every umpire at some time. I guess since this was the championship, and these should be the best of the best umpires, I got carried away when she blew it. It just seemed like it was just so obvious that it hit her arm and not the bat, but maybe she was blocked. I would bet money though, if that would have been me in a much less important game and my UIC saw it, I would have gotten a serious talking to. Dave

Seriously?? I only saw about 3 innings of the game and her zone looked pretty good to me.

It was impossible to tell from her position whether or not the ball hit the batter or the bat. Sometimes the bone on the forearm sounds like the bat. All she had to go on was sound and the batter reaction. The batter did not react immediately acting like she was hurt, so it was just a best guess on sound. She agreed to go to her partners for help, but there was no way they could help.

Wasn't obvious to me. Slow motion replay showed it hit her arm, I could not tell in real time and for sure when I do not have the tv cameras to help me. Maybe you are just that much better than me, though.

Oh please, just because we are umpires doesn't mean we have to defend the umpires everytime does it? There are the few times the umpires are wrong and many more times the coaches are wrong but all should get their due. That batter reacted immediately when she got hit. Dave

General statement, no particular call noted.

No, but as an umpire you should be aware of the circumstances that may have lead to what some may say was a missed/kicked call. It always looks different from another angle, that is why, as umpires, we occassionally go to partners for help.

Defend? Maybe not. Agree? Maybe not. Understand? Absolutely

I agree wholeheartedly. I was just bringing up that I didn't think she had a great game. Dave

She was also way out of position on a call at third about 2 or 3 batters after the foul/HBP.

R1. Ground ball to F6 who threw out BR at 1B. R1 never let up and headed to 3B. PU was late in reacting and was on the move about half way up the line when the play happened. The one positive was she continued about 3 or 4 more steps to get closer as she made her safe call to at least appear to be in position.

Drumm should have never been behind the plate for that game. The assigner knew she had had a tough game with these two teams earlier. The assigner let BOTH teams and Drumm down in this regard. Personally I think her partners let her down as well. How in the world did they not see the ball hit the arm. It was not even close. The problem here was elevated because of the NCAA mechanics. We all have bad games. We all have bad tournaments. Overall the umpiring was not up to the par of what we have come to expect at this level and of these selections. We could get into "agenda's" but I dont think i have enough time.

NCAA Mechanics require the plate umpire to hold on the 1st base line extended to watch for a pulled foot before releasing to 3B for the play. You do not cheat and watch for a pulled foot while you are running toward 3B.

The first play (at 1B) is the first responsibility, then release to 3B. If a runner is going from 1 to 3, and is very fast, it is possible that the plate umpire might not make it all the way to 3B when the play happens.

Very good points here.

I'm just curious about your comment on how NCAA mechanics elevated the problem. Just asking.

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The 3rd base umpire was rotated over due to runner on first. This umpire would have had the best view. NCAA mechanics want the plate umpire to go to the first base umpire.
Yes, I know they all got together. All for show.
But you can see by the involvement of the first base umpire in the actions that took place after the request for more information by Drumm that the rotated umpire had little involvement in any substiquent decision.