Video: FED What happened here?

[johnnyg08]

http://goo.gl/nh3un

It is a long clip, but it deals with a half swing.

[TNCoach]

Appears he did check his swing, PU called the swing, defensive team celebrated while offensive team asked for appeal, appeal granted, no swing called.

I know several people here don't like appeals, but I think appeals are almost always okay on check swings such as this. Would have been better to ask for help rather than allow the celebration only to have to fix all of that.

It would have also been very easy to stick with that call and not change the call to a check swing.

[Umpy]

I was under the impression that you can't appeal a checked swing that's been called a strike, that you can only appeal when its called ball.

[Pops]

This was a poor decision by the plate ump to allow the appeal. I have never tried to reverse a strike call, nor have I ever seen anyone else do it. If you don't know what to call, call a ball and ask for help. Do not call a strike and ask for help to change it to a ball. You either saw the swing or you didn't.

[MIZUMP]

I may be way off but I'd like to toss up an alternative explanation:

He called the swing and called safe on the tag for a dropped third strike. Later in the video, you can see the catcher still walking around with the baseball in his hand as if to show the ump that he tagged the batter with the ball in his barehand. (All of this assuming the PU thought he had an empty tag).

I just thought he signaled safe very quickly to have gotten an appeal already. Especially after pointing the swing so emphatically.

Food for thought

[24sdad]

PU had a swing on strike three (pointing at batter), uncaught third strike (safe mechanic), and I am ASSUMING after the tag he gave the out mechanic (PU was out of camera frame). Game over.

Anyone know what was actually ruled?

[mstaylor]

It looked like he called the swing and no tag by the catcher. I'm really not sure what the conference was about and why a BU did the explanation. The BU is talking to the manager and the PU is shooing players away. Personally I would have made sure all those players were a lot further away from the discussion.

If you keep watching the clip, the players are all out of the dugout during live ball. There is a section where the team is out "picking up" the runner that just scored, at the same time there is a throw coming into third. There is a good chance for an overthrow, possible ball OOP or a play at the plate. All of these things could be complicated by the team being out of the dugout. There is no way in a 3A final you allow this.

DO NOT ALLOW TEAMS OUT DURING LIVE BALL! There are rules to stop it, including warnings and ejections.

[JaxRolo]

Wow. I can't even try to expalin what happened. Maybe called the swing and looked like an abvious tag.

And I also do not see why BU was giving the explanation.

All the players should have been told to get in the dugout. And possible EJ of F2

[Fittske24]

To me it looks like the PU called a check swing on the batter and was attempting to give a "no catch" signal (With no verbal) as F2 (with ball in hand) was applying the tag to the BR. This made the BR assume that the "no catch" call was a "safe" call and he went to 1st (I'm assuming on a base on balls).

There was a thread on here a while back that was titled "Verbalizing D3K" (http://umpire-empire...__hl__verbalize) Some were in favor for not verbalizing and just giving a "safe" mechanic. I always feel that the no catch mechanic should be coupled with a "no catch" verbal. This helps to avoid confusion by players/coaches in the immediate vicinity of the play. To a player/coach, who knows nothing about umpire mechanics "no catch" will always look like "safe" to them.

Now as far as the call aftermath is concerned...This is wrong on so many levels. Once the PU has ruled it a strike on the swing attempt, the call cannot be overturned and the offensive team cannot ask for help on check swings either. The fact that the crew got together and reversed the call was unbelievable.

[Welpe]

I wholeheartedly agree, Fittske.

[Thunderheads]

Uhm....the catcher does NOT HAVE THE BALL IN HIS HAND when he "tags" him, ...it's in his mitt...watch the tag ...it's an open hand!

[JaxRolo]

Uhm....the catcher does NOT HAVE THE BALL IN HIS HAND when he "tags" him, ...it's in his mitt...watch the tag ...it's an open hand!

Jeff if you freeze the video at :23 you can see something white in his hand.

[Thunderheads]

Uhm....the catcher does NOT HAVE THE BALL IN HIS HAND when he "tags" him, ...it's in his mitt...watch the tag ...it's an open hand!

Jeff if you freeze the video at :23 you can see something white in his hand.

YEP!! Sorry, ...I got it on the slo-mo, thanks Rolando!

[UMP45]

I think the sweatband is sexy! It is possible this umpire was in over his head.

[johnnyg08]

I think the sweatband is sexy! It is possible this umpire was in over his head.

I know two of the three personally. Two of the three are not in over their heads on this game. I can't comment on the third umpire because I do not know him.

[zm1283]

I have watched this video several times and commented on it on one of the other boards. I can not believe the PU would not see a tag by the catcher here. What else do you have to watch as the PU? You signal the swing, you verbalize and signal "no catch", and wait to see if the catcher tags the BR or throws to first. As soon as he tags him, come up with an "out" mechanic and everyone goes home.

[UMP45]

I think what happened was he tried to use every signal for a D3K. Sometimes you only have time to signal strike and out.