Shoulda stayed quiet

[Manny A]

Originally Posted by jmkupka

Great weekend for games... everything went perfectly with good feedback about my crew, then one call ruins it for me...

I'm in "B", batter lays down a bunt, her bat about 3" off the ground. I have a distinct sound of a double-hit and the ball goes off on an odd angle (fair).
I call "dead", & I'm the only one who thought so. Next pitch she crushes a triple.

I consider "tanking a call" one where you know you were wrong, and a bad call comes out your mouth (bad mechanics or whatever). This one really bothered me because my senses lied to me.

Shoulda stayed quiet.

Maybe so. That's a really tough sell from B, especially if you "hear" it and your PU partner doesn't. There could have been ambient noise from elsewhere that sounded like a ball hitting the bat.

If it was me, I would've said/done nothing, wait for my partner to come to me for help should someone have asked him/her to check, and then let him/her know what I saw and heard. I don't like making long distance calls like that.

[SWFLguy]

I agree with that philosophy. I got burned once by calling something like that. My first thought was the plate umpire was blocked out. Ate that one and after that keep quiet, but immediately mirror the call when the PU makes it.

[AtlUmpSteve]

Originally Posted by Manny A

Maybe so. That's a really tough sell from B, especially if you "hear" it and your PU partner doesn't. There could have been ambient noise from elsewhere that sounded like a ball hitting the bat.

If it was me, I would've said/done nothing, wait for my partner to come to me for help should someone have asked him/her to check, and then let him/her know what I saw and heard. I don't like making long distance calls like that.

I'm not in like with not making the call, either. It seems to me that it looks like you are accepting the "it must have happened if that coach asked about it" reaction, when we were told for years to NOT go for help, because you (BU) are expected to make the call when you see it, not be convinced later.

If you are so uncertain you won't make the call, why are you then ready to suggest to your partner something happened that needs to have the live-time call changed? It has always been my philosophy that you have to be even MORE SURE of the need to change a call/non-call by your partner than the need to make an initial call.

[MD Longhorn]

Most of the time we pregame this and with MOST partners (definitely not all) - at least around here, PU wants BU to make this call if they see it. Most (not all) of my assignors have said the same thing when it comes up.

PU is tracking a pitch, and can easily be blocked on this call. Nothing wrong with BU calling it. If you see it, and are sure, call it.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by MD Longhorn

Most of the time we pregame this and with MOST partners (definitely not all) - at least around here, PU wants BU to make this call if they see it. Most (not all) of my assignors have said the same thing when it comes up.

PU is tracking a pitch, and can easily be blocked on this call. Nothing wrong with BU calling it. If you see it, and are sure, call it.

Same here. I will give my partner a beat or two to make the call, but if he doesn't, and I saw it, I kill the ball, LOUDLY. From the bases, I won't go with just a single indicator, though (sound, see the ball hit the batter or bat, change in direction). I'll need at least 2 of the 3.

To the OP: You are thinking you kicked the call, resulting in an undeserved triple. But, OTOH, have you considered that you got the call right, and therefore the offense got what they earned?

[jmkupka]

That's my rationalization Dakota...

Instead of beating myself up over having a bad call burst out of my mouth, it's more a matter of still knowing I saw what I saw, and why didn't anyone else?

I'm over it...