A Really? Moment

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Jul 16, 2008
1,520
48
Oregon
OK situation, we are on defense. A bang/bang play at 1B, throw a little wide. Field Umpire calls runner safe due to pulled foot. Now from my angle (granted its like a 45 degree angle) I do see her heel lift, but toes appear to be in contact with the bag. I asked for time and approached the Umpire. I said, "From my vantage point it appeared her toes were still in contact with the bag, do you mind asking your partner and see if he saw anything different?" From his position behind 1B, he yells, Hey Frank, I have a pulled foot off the bag, you got anything different?" At this point I just went back to the dugout. I would have been happy if he said, Coach it's my call, and I saw a pulled foot. But is it normal to yell across the infield like this?
 
Oct 11, 2010
8,337
113
Chicago, IL
I made a mistake in MS as a parent.

DD was on 1st and other team tried to pick her off. It wasn't close DD was safe, field ump was blocked from play they just guessed something. They need to pick safe or out.

HC was pretty low quelled.

I stated loadedly from stands, yelled, asked field ump to ask for help. Field ump thought about it for a couple seconds then did ask home home plate ump if who should have saw it perfectly. Their anwser was I was not paying attention.

The fun started. Not that she she was called out but that they were not paying attention. DD did not even care she was out, it was worth it watching HC at ump.

At least they asked for you, I do not know what more you want. They are not required to.
 
Jul 16, 2008
1,520
48
Oregon
I made a mistake in MS as a parent.

DD was on 1st and other team tried to pick her off. It wasn't close DD was safe, field ump was blocked from play they just guessed something. They need to pick safe or out.

HC was pretty low quelled.

I stated loadedly from stands, yelled, asked field ump to ask for help. Field ump thought about it for a couple seconds then did ask home home plate ump if who should have saw it perfectly. Their anwser was I was not paying attention.

The fun started. Not that she she was called out but that they were not paying attention. DD did not even care she was out, it was worth it watching HC at ump.

At least they asked for you, I do not know what more you want. They are not required to.

Oh I know that they aren't required to. But yelling across the diamond is something I have never seen before is all. We have had this Umpire many, many times before, and is a good one (in fact I don't think I have ever questioned his calls before at all). I was just kind of surprised is all.
 
May 29, 2015
3,731
113
No. Yelling across the field is extremely poor form for coaches and umpires. Especially umpires. Did I mention especially umpires?

Exception: going for help on a check swing. Proper mechanic is to step out, remove your mask (left hand), point to your partner and loudly ask “Did she/he go?”

Tip for coaches: No umpire in the C-position should EVER have an issue going to to the plate umpire for help on a pulled foot. That is text book. Ask for time, walk out, talk to the umpire, then allow the umpires to confer away from you. Do not follow them to their conference.
 
Jun 12, 2015
3,848
83
I've never seen them do anything but meet in the middle and put their heads together. No yelling. I have noticed more and more often that umpires are unwilling to ask for help even when the other umpire clearly had a better view. A few tournaments ago the field ump blew a call (really). HC asked if he'd as the home plate umpire for help. She had a great view and you could tell she was just waiting for him to ask. He flat refused.

Found out later she was his mom. Guess he didn't feel like a real man asking mommy for help? lol Kind of funny in retrospect but it was not funny at the time.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
Tip for coaches: No umpire in the C-position should EVER have an issue going to to the plate umpire for help on a pulled foot. That is text book. Ask for time, walk out, talk to the umpire, then allow the umpires to confer away from you. Do not follow them to their conference.

I had a play this year where the throw pulled the 1B off the bag, but she clearly tagged the runner about 5 feet from first base. There was no question of whether the runner touched the base before the tag, just whether a tag happened. The runner literally ran through the 1B's arm. It wasn't a little brush tag. The runner started to walk toward the dugout on her own (never got there).

The umpire calls her safe because the throw pulled the 1B off the bag. So I do everything right. Call time, go out there. I say, "It looked to me like the 1B got the tag on, but she might have been blocking your view. Could you see if the home plate umpire had a better look?" "No. There was no tag." "But the runner was going back to the dugout because she knew she was tagged." "She thought the first baseman was still on the base."

At that point, I knew this guy was 100% about the UmpShow (he confirmed this belief later when he came over to tell me how my pitchers should be pitching; neither was illegal, and he actually really messed one up because he made her completely change what she was doing and she couldn't throw a strike for the rest of the game). So I just gave him the worst possible review through our state's rating system and made it clear he was unprofessional and if he wants to be a coach, he should do that instead.

I'm not so mad about the missed call, but I still can't believe he didn't confer with the plate umpire about it.
 
May 16, 2012
97
18
Missouri
No. Yelling across the field is extremely poor form for coaches and umpires. Especially umpires. Did I mention especially umpires?

Exception: going for help on a check swing. Proper mechanic is to step out, remove your mask (left hand), point to your partner and loudly ask “Did she/he go?”

Tip for coaches: No umpire in the C-position should EVER have an issue going to to the plate umpire for help on a pulled foot. That is text book. Ask for time, walk out, talk to the umpire, then allow the umpires to confer away from you. Do not follow them to their conference.
It's not "Text Book" but it is a good practice. But, if you clearly see everything from the C, you do not have to go to your partner.
 

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