Getting the call right

[Umpire in Chief]

Situation: 2 outs, R1. Summer varsity ball

Routine ground ball to the SS. He starts to run to 2nd for the force. I step up towards 2nd for the assumed routine force at second. The SS would have beat the runner easily. 

At the last second he decides to throw to 1st. I go down to my knee quickly to not take it in between the eyes. (Not making excuses here just describing the situation.) I'm in horrible position. With the imminent play at second I'd gained some distance from the B position to +/- 5 feet from the second base cut out on the B side, so I'm on a knee about 80 feet from first and I'm now straight lined. I turned and made the call at first, while still on my knee. I call the runner out. The ball clearly beat him.

Now both the runner and first base coach are expressing their dissatisfaction with the call. Now neither had asked me to go for help. I stand up and as I stand up the first baseman steps away from where he was and with 1 step is now >5 feet away from the bag, not only that he has a $h!+ eating grin on his face. Now I realize, he was probably off the bag. I called time and jogged over to my partner. I covered my mouth with my hat and said to my partner, "He didn't have the bag did he?" 

He subtly shook his head, "No"

I walked away and then gave the safe signal.

Defensive coach who was on the 1st base side comes unglued and is on me immediately.

"Nobody asked you to appeal"

"No they didn't, I did it on my own"

"You can't just do that on your own." 

"I can and we got the call right." 

He continued to insist I can't without being asked. Then he says, "Well why didn't he make the call at first then?"

"It's my call and after I made it I had reason to believe it might not have been correct and my partner may have been able to help.But we ended up getting it right." 

He wanted to continue, but I just said the call was correct and walked away. 

 

While the call obviously went against him, he never denied that the final call was correct. I would think the coaches after always wanting the call right would argue that strongly about an umpire on his own accord trying to get it right. 

 

[ZebraStripes]

They don't want the call to be right.  They want the call to go their way.

Edited July 31, 2015 by ZebraStripes

[Rich Ives]

They don't want the call to be right.  They want the call to go their way.

Both sides do - that's why you're there.

[grayhawk]

Both sides do - that's why you're there.

It's one thing to want the call to go your way.  It's a whole different thing to argue a call that doesn't go your way when you KNOW it was correct.  That's where the term "Rat" comes from.

[alan2703]

You called it and thought something was not right you went to your partner and got the call right that is what we are supposed to do get it right.  Had a play weekend past adult league, runner was to far from base on fly ball F8 threw the ball to first which first baseman dropped, defensive team said he the runner strayed off the bag and was tagged by first basemen, I was in B and first basemen blocked the view, went to partner who saw the runner stray and the tag so rung up an out. Short talk very polite with OT coach that my partner had a better view as I was blocked and we called accordingly . You would want the right call if it was reversed end of talk.