Tenn v. Bama

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by Manny A

I've also heard the arguments that it makes zero sense to chase cans of corn. Perhaps. But those cans of corn can quickly turn to crap when the fielder suddenly raises his/her arms because he/she lost the ball in the sun, or he/she simply initially muffs it, and he/she adjusts at the last second to turn the ordinary into extraordinary. Ya just never know.

Fair enough, but consider this.

Is 1 umpire covering 4 bases better or worse than 2?
Are 2 umpires covering 4 bases better or worse than 3?

Depending on whether you started with 2 or 3 umpires - every time you go out on a can of corn, you've diminished your crew for the rest of that play.

So ask yourself ... what is the percentage of those cans of corn that you're going out on that turn into "something extraordinary"? 1%? Probably less if you're honest. The question then becomes - is it worth diminishing your crew 99% of the time so that you can briefly have better coverage on the 1%?

[Andy]

I am an advocate of chasing all fly balls in three umpire in ASA and HS play where the umpires are not accustomed to working in a three umpire system on a regular basis.

For umpires at the NCAA level who work 30-40 games a year in the 3 umpire system, only chasing trouble balls makes sense due to the fact that they have more experience in reading the hit and making a quicker decision to chase or not.

Yes, it is better to have three umpires covering 4 bases, but umpires frozen because of hesitation on a fly ball don't do any good either. Since most umpires are more instinctual in the two umpire system, chasing every fly ball is a better option. JMHO....

[Skahtboi]

Originally Posted by Andy

I am an advocate of chasing all fly balls in three umpire in ASA and HS play where the umpires are not accustomed to working in a three umpire system on a regular basis.

For umpires at the NCAA level who work 30-40 games a year in the 3 umpire system, only chasing trouble balls makes sense due to the fact that they have more experience in reading the hit and making a quicker decision to chase or not.

Yes, it is better to have three umpires covering 4 bases, but umpires frozen because of hesitation on a fly ball don't do any good either. Since most umpires are more instinctual in the two umpire system, chasing every fly ball is a better option. JMHO....

You just saved me a heap o' typing. I was thinking these same thoughts as I read along.

[Steve M]

Many of the Fed umpires around here also do baseball.
In that game, from A, they chase. We've not gotten into chasing from other starting positions. I've done so much prodding at our high school meetings over the past several years that some are now starting to chase from A in softball. I've harped on using the same chase criteria:
a ball to the wall
a ball on the line
a fielder charging in
a fielder charging out
multiple fielders coming together

As we move into 4-man games (no 3-man) high school games here, umpires are more prepared to chase - recognizing trouble balls.

[Chess Ref]

Originally Posted by Andy

I am an advocate of chasing all fly balls in three umpire in ASA and HS play where the umpires are not accustomed to working in a three umpire system on a regular basis.

For umpires at the NCAA level who work 30-40 games a year in the 3 umpire system, only chasing trouble balls makes sense due to the fact that they have more experience in reading the hit and making a quicker decision to chase or not.

Yes, it is better to have three umpires covering 4 bases, but umpires frozen because of hesitation on a fly ball don't do any good either. Since most umpires are more instinctual in the two umpire system, chasing every fly ball is a better option. JMHO....

In our area, not counting the DI umps, we all work 2 man.

The sectional championship games are 3 man system.

So the vast majority of us have very minimal experience in 3 man.

We go out on all fly balls. Sometimes it looks silly, but it works, so we continue doing it.