Begging coaches...

[FPump]

As an umpire, I always want to get the call right. I will always go to my partner for a discussion if there is even a remote possibility that he might have more information for me. I have no problem with a coach asking me to go for help on situations such as the following:

A pulled foot
A tag that was applied away from me, which my partner might have had a better angle

Here's an example from this past weekend. This is a classic example, IMO.

I'm BU with runner on 3B. Ground ball to F5, fielder checks the runner back to 3B and throws to 1B. Throw is high and F3 stretches. Ball beats the runner, and F3's foot never comes off the ground, so I call the out. 1st base coach requests that I go for help on a pulled foot. No problem. I talk with my partner, and indeed, while the toe never came off the ground, the heel did come away from the bag such that there was no contact with 1B. PU said it was pretty obvious from his angle, and he had no doubt. I overturned my call, and put the BR back on 1B. Fans that were sitting in left field weren't happy, but everyone else knew we ended up with the right call.

The issue becomes when a coach wants me to "go for help" on judgement calls, such as force plays or tag plays for which I am in the best position. I will not honor the coach's request in situations such as this. If I would, the door would be open for the coach to question every call, and that is just not good for game management.

ASAPAump's post offers two excellent spot on examples of situations when we do and when we do not go to our partner for help; and most importantly the reason why most times we do not honor the coach's request that we ask for help from our partner.

 

[SamG]

ASAPAump's post offers two excellent spot on examples of situations when we do and when we do not go to our partner for help; and most importantly the reason why most times we do not honor the coach's request that we ask for help from our partner.

Purely my opinion. In ASAPAump's example (and others like it), I feel PU should be able to go to BU and say he saw the pulled foot. It shouldn't require a coach's request for "help". To me (parent and general sports fan), it's more important to get the call RIGHT.

My example from last year... our team's parents (me included) sitting behind fence just up 1st base lane (staring straight at F5). Our team's on D, R1 on 2nd. Ball hit to F6. F6 throws to F5 covering 3rd, F5 tags the sliding R1 in the chest. To us spectators (ok, maybe we were biased, but I don't think so), the tag looked like it happened with R1's foot about 12" from the bag. BU was in 'C' (between 2nd & 3rd?) and called the runner out. Our coaches (in 1st base dugout) didn't have the angle to see what we did. I STILL think PU did. I think BU a) couldn't see exactly when the tag happened because he was behind R1 and therefore her body blocked his view of the tag and/or b) couldn't see exactly what happened with R1's foot for the same reason.

In my situation, sure, BU might have seen something PU didn't. But shouldn't PU be able to call "time", consult with BU and make sure the call is RIGHT (based on available information). Yes, there are "bang-bang" judgement call plays. But as ASAPAump pointed out, umps don't always see everything (through no fault of their own).