Error in count by home plate umpire

[grmerrill]

Watching a replay of the Jacksonville V Stetson game from the 28th.

2 outs. Two runners on. Batter takes a ball, next pitch is a passed ball and the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd. At this point the home plate umpire gives the count as 1 and 1 instead of 2 and 0.

The batter fouls off the next ball, then takes the next pitch as an inside strike. The home plate umpire signals a strikeout and the defense heads to the dugout. The batter knowing her count indicates to the runners that it is strike two and both runners cross home plate.

What should have happened here? The commentators, the scoreboard the home plate ump and apparently everyone but the batter and runners thought it was strike 3.

What did happen is after a conference between the 3 umps they sent the runners back to their bases and put the batter back to the plate. Is that correct for an error in the count by the HPU?

 

[Comp]

Any delay of call or reversal of a call that puts either team in jeopardy should be corrected by the umpires with the least amount of damage to either team.

 

[Cowdogz]

Watching a replay of the Jacksonville V Stetson game from the 28th.

2 outs. Two runners on. Batter takes a ball, next pitch is a passed ball and the runners advance to 2nd and 3rd. At this point the home plate umpire gives the count as 1 and 1 instead of 2 and 0.

The batter fouls off the next ball, then takes the next pitch as an inside strike. The home plate umpire signals a strikeout and the defense heads to the dugout. The batter knowing her count indicates to the runners that it is strike two and both runners cross home plate.

What should have happened here? The commentators, the scoreboard the home plate ump and apparently everyone but the batter and runners thought it was strike 3.

What did happen is after a conference between the 3 umps they sent the runners back to their bases and put the batter back to the plate. Is that correct for an error in the count by the HPU?

The count is whatever the umpire says it is. If the hitter "knew" something different after hearing the umpire say it was 1-1, she should have immediately asked for clarification.

 

[Umpire]

The count is whatever the umpire says it is. If the hitter "knew" something different after hearing the umpire say it was 1-1, she should have immediately asked for clarification.

The batter, or any player for that matter, is not responsible for correcting perceived umpire errors. Please don't let anyone think that any player should have this responsibility.

When the umpires place the team(s) in jeopardy, they must attempt to correct the problem. Contrary to popular belief, umpires must try to figure out "what would have happened" and attempt to make things right.

 

[Cowdogz]

The batter, or any player for that matter, is not responsible for correcting perceived umpire errors. Please don't let anyone think that any player should have this responsibility.

When the umpires place the team(s) in jeopardy, they must attempt to correct the problem. Contrary to popular belief, umpires must try to figure out "what would have happened" and attempt to make things right.

My point was that no one should assume there are two different counts on the field, the umpire's count and the "real" one. For the purposes of the next play, the count is whatever the umpire says it is, in this case 1-1. Anyone who thought something different should have asked. This hitter tried to be sneaky by taking advantage of the umpire's miscue. What if, in the ensuing conversation, the PU compounds the error by saying, "No, I had that second pitch as a strike," and the BU says "I think he's right." The hitter just screwed herself by not clarifying her count immediately after the discrepancy.

 

[RetiredCoach]

Had an interesting situation over the weekend. The umpire did not officially call time but started dusting off the home plate. My DDs team started resuming their positions and not paying attention to the base runners. The other coach, knowing that time was not officially called, kept sending his base runners around the bases to score. As a girl tried to score he stated that there was time on the field. The third base coach asserted that you did not call time. The ump said that, I should have, and sent the girls back to their bases. The third base coach made a snide remark and sent his girls back.

 

[Umpireernie]

Had an interesting situation over the weekend. The umpire did not officially call time but started dusting off the home plate. My DDs team started resuming their positions and not paying attention to the base runners. The other coach, knowing that time was not officially called, kept sending his base runners around the bases to score. As a girl tried to score he stated that there was time on the field. The third base coach asserted that you did not call time. The ump said that, I should have, and sent the girls back to their bases. The third base coach made a snide remark and sent his girls back.

Right call. When PU turned his back on the field to dust off the plate he has in effect called time even if he did not say it out loud as he admitted he should have. The runners advanced during a dead ball and will be returned to last base occupied at time play was suspended by the PU dusting the plate. No way should the defense be penalized for making a play on a runner advancing to home while blue is cleaning the plate.

 

[Umpire]

My point was that no one should assume there are two different counts on the field, the umpire's count and the "real" one. For the purposes of the next play, the count is whatever the umpire says it is, in this case 1-1. Anyone who thought something different should have asked. This hitter tried to be sneaky by taking advantage of the umpire's miscue. What if, in the ensuing conversation, the PU compounds the error by saying, "No, I had that second pitch as a strike," and the BU says "I think he's right." The hitter just screwed herself by not clarifying her count immediately after the discrepancy.

My point is that no 10 year old is going to ask an umpire if he has the count wrong. That's not realistic. I umpire on a realistic field, not an imaginary one.

 

[Cowdogz]

My point is that no 10 year old is going to ask an umpire if he has the count wrong. That's not realistic. I umpire on a realistic field, not an imaginary one.

So the umpires are pretty terrible at your games, too?

 

[Umpire]

So the umpires are pretty terrible at your games, too?

I'm not really sure what you mean by that since demeanor and tone are difficult to detect from short, incomplete, written material. Anyone who thinks that an "umpire's" count must be challenged immediately by anyone who disagrees is pretty narrow minded. Players and coaches are so often wrong with the count it's unbelievable. No one expects a 10 year old girl to turn around and ask, "Isn't it actually one and one?" to an umpire with whom she disagrees on the count. Get real.