Odd foul ball sitch ....

[Thunderheads]

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=29720795&query=dispute

 

http://wapc.mlb.com/play?content_id=29720795

[Haid D' Salaami]

good job changing this call...I would like to see if one of the other umpires let him know the ball hit the batter.

[Umpire in Chief]

I like this, Cooper fixes the call. 

 

Here is what Cooper is seeing...

 

 

IMO he's blocked out by the batter swinging and the catcher lunging for the pitch at the same time.  Through no fault of his own he can not see that ball any longer. 

 

I also like that he didn't (at least not overtly) go for help. Could he have gotten a signal from one of his partners???? 

 

Maybe. You see at about 0:06-ish that before he kills the ball he appears to look at both U3 & U1.

 

You see him raise his hands. Which as we know is both time and foul. But we can not definitively say if he is calling foul or just time. And this is the correct thing to do in this situation. It is either a foul or a HBP both are dead balls so calling time gives you that extra second you need to digest what happened.

 

I also like how he handled Collins, then said something to Mattingly. So good situation management. 

 

My only criticism would be the same one I hear in my evaluations. Come up strong in killing that ball. The announcers (say it ain't so) actually had a point when they said, "That was an ambiguous call by Eric Cooper." And that "ambiguous call" especially in a difficult situation makes you look weak. When you look weak you are opening the door for a challenge from a coach, even if you are correct.

 

Side story, but somewhat related...

 

When umpires I know through either here or elsewhere come reasonably close to where I live (I've even driven 2.5 hours out to Zebulon to see guys at the Mudcats -- I need somebody I know to make it to AAA in the IL so I can meet them a lot easier) I make every attempt to meet up with them. A few years ago I met up with one of the members here at an Outer Banks Daredevils game. He was working the bases. I quickly picked up on how crisp, sharp and authoritative (it's hard to explain what I mean by authoritative - strong, but not too strong or overdoing it just the right blend between still making a strong noticeable call and still being relaxed - you know it when you see it ) his calls were, even on the routine plays. The type of routine play where I had only given a not even half-assed mechanic. I brought this up to him after the game. And I forget exactly what he said but it was something to the effect of every play deserves a proper call. And you get in a good habit because you never know when that routine call will blow up on you. He also mentioned that people do notice and not only other umpires and supervisors. 

 

I have taken that to heart and try to do the same. I'm not as good at it as he is and I still slip into old bad habits, but I do think it has played a part in me moving up the ladder.

[Mudder]

Please help me here....what is the batter arguing, that it hit him or not?  Why would it matter to him he obviously swung at the pitch, so if its a HBP or foul ball he still continues his AB with an additional strike?  Or is he arguing he did not swing?

[Umpire in Chief]

Please help me here....what is the batter arguing, that it hit him or not?  Why would it matter to him he obviously swung at the pitch, so if its a HBP or foul ball he still continues his AB with an additional strike?  Or is he arguing he did not swing?

He had 2 strikes. If he swings on a HBP it counts a s a dead ball strike and he's out. 

[Mudder]

 

Please help me here....what is the batter arguing, that it hit him or not?  Why would it matter to him he obviously swung at the pitch, so if its a HBP or foul ball he still continues his AB with an additional strike?  Or is he arguing he did not swing?

He had 2 strikes. If he swings on a HBP it counts a s a dead ball strike and he's out. 

 

 

OK, didn't notice the count

[th3]

what did he change his call based on?

[mstaylor]

UIC, the term you are looking for is sharp. He looks sharp in his mechanics.<br /><br />Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2<br /><br />

[GetItRight]

what did he change his call based on?

Maybe he thought about it for a little bit and realized he was wrong.

 

Why is that so hard to comprehend?