Oh, My! WCOS USA vs Czech
 

Bryan Smith IS a good umpire.

Bryan Smith just had a brain fart and knew it. As soon as he finished his overhand, you could see it in his face. He waited for the play. He saw the ball drop to the ground. And then rung up the BR with a big overhand, stood erect with a disgusted look on his face, signaled safe, looked down and kicked the dirt.

Bryan Smith IS a good umpire. **** happens to everyone. Anyone out there who thinks it will not happen to him/her is a fool. It happens to any and every umpire at some time. That is unless you are one of those guys/gals who "used to umpire". ;)

But Bryan Smith IS a good umpire and this will bother him the rest of the night starting as soon as he gets off the field tonight.

I think it bothered him as soon as he realized he made the quick, wrong call. I did it last night myself. And I consider myself a good umpire.

Runner on first and third, bunt back to pitcher, she fakes to first and then throws back to third. I'm in a great spot to get a great look at the tag.....I see it, I call OUTTTTTTT and then see the ball rolling past third base....

Oops.

I kicked the dirt myself. And I'm still kicking myself for it. But I admit my mistake, and vow to learn from it and delay delay delay an extra second. **** happens.

Got home late from my own game and only saw a little of this one.

Re: The plate umpire...were those the "devil horns" when indicating two balls or two strikes? Maybe that is acceptable in Japan?

Never mind...had a chance to watch the late replay and see again what I thought I saw. She was using two consecutive fingers, they were just spread so far apart that it looked like a pinky and forefinger, but it wasn't. I'm blaming it on the camera angle!

However...and this goes hand-in-hand with the timing error in the first post...I did see two times where she signalled a foul tip, even though the catcher didn't catch the ball and it was rolling loose on the ground. On one, she actually gave the foul tip signal and was signalling the strike when she had to quickly correct herself and signal foul/dead ball. On the other, it just went from the foul tip signal straight to the foul/dead ball signal.

A little too quick on the trigger (both me in my first post and the plate umpire in not making sure the ball was caught before signalling foul tip)!

There was also a missed foul ball in I believe the 5th inning. The girl bunted the ball foul and it was treated as a passed ball. Two runners advanced a base each. Replays showed the missed foul ball.

Good post Mike. Something for all of us to read and heed. Based on being the type of umpire you've told us Bryan is, I'm sure he'll bounce right back and have an outstanding tournament.

I hope in the post game somebody reminds him there is no hurry to make those calls.

Actually, his timing didn't seem too quick, that is why a referred to a brain fart.

The OUT call at 3rd against team USA in about the 5 or so inning (on an overthrow to 2nd)

speaking strictly ASA or NFHS rule set. Did anyone think OBS?

(even though the talking heads felt it was a 'bad call' based on judgment alone, that is really not the point of my post)

discuss?

I didn't think it was OBS, F5 caught the ball before the runner got there, but I do believe the umpire was out of position, tried to sneak a peek and just didn't see the runner's left hand on the base before the tag.

To the umpire's credit, it wasn't exactly a routine foul ball that was missed...

Batter squared to bunt, pitch was high and tight, batter kind of jumped backwards out of the way and ball apparently knicked bat. The ball seemed to change direction in one replay, was kind of inconclusive in the other. I don't think the plate umpire signalled anything, while the catcher seemed to react as if it was a foul ball.

Expert analysis by the Talking Heads: "The umpire initially called that one foul, but then they waved it off and that allowed the runners to move up".

Huh??? :confused:

Sure, you've never heard about the special foul ball waiver in ISF ball? :rolleyes:

Is it just me or ...
Was the PU in the Czech game not verbalizing while still down?
Was the first Australia pitcher leaping a lot?

That's all the games I've seen, others on my DVR.

This is being played under ISF rules...right?

Didn't ISF legalize the leap last year?

From the ISF Rulebook: