U3 in 3 man...

[Gfoley4]

I'm going to be U3 tonight for a semifinal in a 50/70 cal ripken regional. Any tips? We're going to have a long pregame to go over everything but perhaps some of you guys have some things to mention that I'd never think of.

[maineump]

A couple of important 3-man tips are:

1. Communicate with each other - Communicate - Communicate

2. Understand 2-man very well, as any time U1 goes out, you may need to slide and cover 1B..

3. Get to where you need to be, but remember you will still have outfield responsibilities. Never get caught just 'standing around'. 3-Man has a lot of movement for U3.

[grayhawk]

When U1 is on the wing (which will be most of the time) and the ball is hit, read your partner. You need to know if he's going out or not.

[BrianC14]

1 hour ago, maineump said:

A couple of important 3-man tips are:

1. Communicate with each other - Communicate - Communicate

2. Understand 2-man very well, as any time U1 goes out, you may need to slide and cover 1B..

3. Get to where you need to be, but remember you will still have outfield responsibilities. Never get caught just 'standing around'. 3-Man has a lot of movement for U3.

U3 = the rabbit. 

It shouldbe understood that if U1 goes out, you simply revert to 2-man mechanics with HPU. 

[noumpere]

1) Look to your left.  If the base is empty, run toward it.

2) If you go out, stay out

3) If you partner goes out, revert to two man

 

(I will add, that if you are new to 3-person, you should be working the plate, not U3.  PU's responsibilities are nearly the same, and you can watch and learn from the other umpires.)

[Mudisfun]

On 7/22/2017 at 7:07 AM, grayhawk said:

When U1 is on the wing (which will be most of the time) and the ball is hit, read your partner. You need to know if he's going out or not.

An umpire I know related a story where he was U3 working with a senior College guy as U1 in a College game... I do not know the level.

Ball hit with the center fielder moving back and slightly towards left field. U3 started to go out as this should be his area of responsibility when he noticed U1 going out... of course he reacted to U1 being the QB on the play and slid into the infield and reverted to 2-man. Moral of the story was U1 wanted to see if he would pause, read and react not only to the ball and the fielders but to the partners on the field as well. Earned him a lot of respect that day by adjusting to U1 doing something he should not really be doing. He passed the test.

Bottom line as U3... read your partner and fill the gaps. Unless the ball is in your area of responsibility get to the inside. Finish the play regardless if it is an easy out at 1st... makes you look good and will help build muscle memory.

[lawump]

You MUST think about your responsibilities before the ball is hit.  If you try to stop and think about where you have to go (or what your responsibilities are) after the ball is hit...then you are screwed.

So, EACH AND EVERY time a new batter gets in the box OR the location of the runner(s) change (i.e. on a steal, pass ball, wild pitch, balk, etc.) you must...before the ball is pitched...mentally review in your head what your responsibilities are should the ball be put in play.  If you try to review your responsibilities once the ball is put in play, you will have no chance.

By way of example, if the game begins with a 4-pitch walk...before the first pitch the second batter is delivered, I am mentally telling myself, "I have any fly ball that takes F8 toward LF all the way to F7.  I have any fly ball to RCF or RF that U1 doesn't go out on.  I'm rotating on a clean base hit to the outfield.  Revert to two man if U1 goes out."  Furthermore, as I am reviewing this in my head, I am going to signal to my partners (by pointing to first base) that we are rotating on a clean base hit to the OF where no umpires goes out.

If you do this every time, your odds of having an "oh, sh!t, where do I go," moment significantly decreases.

[grayhawk]

4 hours ago, lawump said:

You MUST think about your responsibilities before the ball is hit.  If you try to stop and think about where you have to go (or what your responsibilities are) after the ball is hit...then you are screwed.

So, EACH AND EVERY time a new batter gets in the box OR the location of the runner(s) change (i.e. on a steal, pass ball, wild pitch, balk, etc.) you must...before the ball is pitched...mentally review in your head what your responsibilities are should the ball be put in play.  If you try to review your responsibilities once the ball is put in play, you will have no chance.

By way of example, if the game begins with a 4-pitch walk...before the first pitch the second batter is delivered, I am mentally telling myself, "I have any fly ball that takes F8 toward LF all the way to F7.  I have any fly ball to RCF or RF that U1 doesn't go out on.  I'm rotating on a clean base hit to the outfield.  Revert to two man if U1 goes out."  Furthermore, as I am reviewing this in my head, I am going to signal to my partners (by pointing to first base) that we are rotating on a clean base hit to the OF where no umpires goes out.

If you do this every time, your odds of having an "oh, sh!t, where do I go," moment significantly decreases.

Speaking from experience, I can vouch for the fact that it's easy to screw the pooch if you don't properly pre-pitch whenever the situation changes.

[umpstu]

On 7/24/2017 at 9:45 AM, Mudisfun said:

An umpire I know related a story where he was U3 working with a senior College guy as U1 in a College game... I do not know the level.

Ball hit with the center fielder moving back and slightly towards left field. U3 started to go out as this should be his area of responsibility when he noticed U1 going out... of course he reacted to U1 being the QB on the play and slid into the infield and reverted to 2-man. Moral of the story was U1 wanted to see if he would pause, read and react not only to the ball and the fielders but to the partners on the field as well. Earned him a lot of respect that day by adjusting to U1 doing something he should not really be doing. He passed the test.

Bottom line as U3... read your partner and fill the gaps. Unless the ball is in your area of responsibility get to the inside. Finish the play regardless if it is an easy out at 1st... makes you look good and will help build muscle memory.

I like that he earned U1's respect, but I hate when experienced college umpires do that.  Another thing that has been taught in the recent past is not to pause, read and react, but to run, read and react.  Meaning they have U# skirt the edge of the infield while reading the situation.  If you decide to go out, you're still in a good position. If you decide to cover second base you're much closer to where you need to be.

And, make sure there aren't two umpires at one base.  And have fun.  You're more than likely going to have some of those duh moments, but more than likely the umpires will probably be the only people who notice.

And what maineump said; communicate.  Be it vocal, your signs or just watching your partners.  

 

[Mudisfun]

17 minutes ago, umpstu said:

I like that he earned U1's respect, but I hate when experienced college umpires do that.  Another thing that has been taught in the recent past is not to pause, read and react, but to run, read and react.  Meaning they have U# skirt the edge of the infield while reading the situation.  If you decide to go out, you're still in a good position. If you decide to cover second base you're much closer to where you need to be.

And, make sure there aren't two umpires at one base.  And have fun.  You're more than likely going to have some of those duh moments, but more than likely the umpires will probably be the only people who notice.

And what maineump said; communicate.  Be it vocal, your signs or just watching your partners.  

 

Agree on the experienced guy running a test in the middle of the game... but it worked for those guys.

And you are correct that the method is run, read, react... The point being that he did read the development of U1 going out and adjusted.

[umpstu]

2 hours ago, Mudisfun said:

Agree on the experienced guy running a test in the middle of the game... but it worked for those guys.

And you are correct that the method is run, read, react... The point being that he did read the development of U1 going out and adjusted.

Wasn't saying anything about the pause, read and react.  I was just mentioning that they are teaching the run, read and react.  Agree with the reading the development comment 100%.

 

[umpstu]

2 hours ago, Mudisfun said:

Agree on the experienced guy running a test in the middle of the game... but it worked for those guys.

And you are correct that the method is run, read, react... The point being that he did read the development of U1 going out and adjusted.

And you have, in my opinion, the strongest high school association in the country.

[Mudisfun]

14 hours ago, umpstu said:

And you have, in my opinion, the strongest high school association in the country.

Thank you. We definitely are blessed to have some serious talent in our group and more importantly a group of people who want to learn, continue to improve, do their best for the students and actually have fun doing it.

We are also very lucky that we have some of the best year round baseball in the country in our back yard. 

[Magic]

On 7/26/2017 at 9:36 AM, Mudisfun said:

Thank you. We definitely are blessed to have some serious talent in our group and more importantly a group of people who want to learn, continue to improve, do their best for the students and actually have fun doing it.

We are also very lucky that we have some of the best year round baseball in the country in our back yard. 

I think where we are blessed the most is, The Serious Talent always is willing to give back to the ones that are still climbing the ladder. 

[ilyazhito]

On a related note, U3 is in deep B position with a lone runner on 1st. 1st/3rd U3 is in C (this is different from 2 man), so there is no rotation (at least not in MAC mechanics, which are based on MiLB 3-man, AFAIK) unless U1 goes out. The NFHS manual both lists 5 rotation situations ([No runners, R1, R1/R3, R3 on a batted ball to the outfield] and R1/R2 on a caught fly ball with less than 2 outs, and R2 tagging for 3rd), but MAC , CCA, (and some other associations) use only 3 of these rotations (Nobody on base, R1, and R1/R2 on a fly ball to the outfield). If an umpire goes out, use the 2-man rotations. If there is a non-rotation situation (R2 only, R2/R3, bases loaded etc. ), U3 moves with runners from 2B to 3B, and U1 moves with runners from 1B to 2B.

Is it true that 3-man  rotations are automatic, unlike 2 man? If you start a rotation, do you finish it even if the situation does not justify finishing it (R1, batted ball to the outfield, R1 goes to 3rd, HP would go to library, and only come to 3rd if there is a throw to 3rd, and would return home if there is no throw, in 2 man. Is that situation the same in 3 man, or does HP stay at 3rd until the play ends?)?

[noumpere]

On 4/7/2018 at 6:01 PM, ilyazhito said:

Is it true that 3-man  rotations are automatic, unlike 2 man? If you start a rotation, do you finish it even if the situation does not justify finishing it (R1, batted ball to the outfield, R1 goes to 3rd, HP would go to library, and only come to 3rd if there is a throw to 3rd, and would return home if there is no throw, in 2 man. Is that situation the same in 3 man, or does HP stay at 3rd until the play ends?)?

No.

U1 PU goes to third (or as far as he needs.)  U1 goes home when R1 commits to third.

 

[ilyazhito]

Does U1 go to third? U1 is at 1st  base. 

[noumpere]

1 hour ago, ilyazhito said:

Does U1 go to third? U1 is at 1st  base. 

Typo edited

[ilyazhito]

OK. Basically, if you are U3, on the line, go out on trouble balls between left field dead ball territory and the center fielder, unless he heads toward right field. Otherwise, when on the line, go inside to the working area near 2B on batted balls. When inside, stay inside. Watch for pickoffs at 1st base (if in B, U1 is primary), steals of 2nd base (from B), pickoffs at 2B and steals of 3rd (from C), and pickoffs at 3rd (from short D). Make catch-no catch calls on routine fly balls in your area of responsibility as well, and be able to respond to half-swing appeals for left-handed batters. 

Is this an accurate summary of U3 responsibilities in a 3 man crew?

 

[noumpere]

U3 doesn't always go inside on batted balls.  And, sometimes he might move toward second (and be responsible for plays at second) at the same time he is ruing on a routine fly ball.

 

And, since this is the generic "mechanics" section, some sets of mechanics have a wing umpire go out on every fly ball in their area -- trouble or not.

 

I think you are trying too hard to summarize this.  If you want to summarize:

1) If it's trouble (or if mechanics dictate) -- go out and stay out.

2) If someone goes out, revert to two man

3) If no one goes out, look to your left -- if there's no umpire there, run toward that base.

 

That should cover 99% of what really happens.