Do you verbalize "Infield Fly"?

[noumpere]

That's why I don't seat the mechanic, everyone is looking up, they will only hear the verbal anyway. 

Coaches will be looking at you because they might not be able to hear the call.

[Mike Prince]

I can't think of any reason other than laziness/inattentiveness not to give the physical as well as verbal mechanic on an IFF, if the PU misses it then the BU should get it.  If the PU gets it the BU should echo his call.

 

It's not like this is happening every inning, so it's not a case of calling undue attention to ourselves or something like that.

[mstaylor]

It's not lazy, I just never developed the habit. Also, if I am at the plate who sees it, nobody. BU, different story. I  do feel the call should be echoed. There is nothing gained by not echoing it. 

[MadMax]

These coaches come unglued because of the money involved. Our instance was during a weekend U13/U14 tournament with a $XXX entry fee (I will only describe it as steep), and the assembled teams were from pretty significant distances for a 8:00AM first pitch, which adds to the angst.

Third game into the day for us, and my partner and I have been passing the between-game intervals with scenarios and battle-stories, and the whole specter of "the silent (or unheard) call". Batting team has been having problems all day (we did their 8:00AM game too) in advancing base runners, leading to a frustratingly high H and BB number but a very (and losing) low R quantity. Their kids just seemed to be station-to-station runners. They get BR's on 1B and 2B, nobody out, for the third time this game, and the 3BC (who is the head coach) is already starting to pace like a tiger in his box. To give you one more nugget of info, they hadn't scored on those two previous situations, and they're down by 2. I'm in C position, behind the SS (at his request), able to see everything I need to. My partner and I, at the start of the AB, affirm via signal to remind of infield fly.

Fourth pitch in and a silo shot goes up... No question this is an IF, right at the F3, 2-3 steps off the bag towards the mound. I bellow "Infield Fly!", make the gesture, and point at the batter to indicate he is out. A shade later, my partner does the same, but he is jogging up the line telling the batter he is out. With everything in motion, I come into the infield, and wouldn't you know it, F3 is wearing handcuffs and muffs the catch. Cue the Circus Fire Drill. Runners are running everywhere... Fielders are running everywhere. At some point, the SS ends up with the ball and has the TBR _dead to rights_ in the 1B-2B base path, and inexplicably doesn't tag him, instead turning his body to throw to his C at home to prevent the LBR from scoring. In the ensuing rundown there, the LBR ends up safely at 3B, in a heap with his 3BC having an aneurysm. TBR is standing, with a goofy grin on his face, on 2B. Batter is standing on 1B, talking with the F3 about who-knows-what (the F3 was the only one who didn't participate in the rundown... I'm not kidding. F7-F9 all joined in).

With everything now settled, I call time to allow my partner to get his mask back on and give everybody a chance to re-focus. I then state, "Infield fly was called, batter (pointing again towards 1B) is out." To the credit of the 3BC, he did not use an expletive and read me the riot act (for which I would have tossed him), but he sure did crack the cover by starting with a "What the...?! You never called it!!!" And storming right up to the chalk on the line. I replied that yes, we did call it, and that probably everybody in the stands heard it. My partner then interjected that he too called it, albeit only loud enough for the ODH to hear. The batter had, in fact, even resigned himself to his being out, but because F3 had dropped it, thought that something had changed and had stood on first base, where a talk with the stunned F3 about something on MTV's Ridiculousness or Miley Cyrus being hot was in order. 3BC kept fuming, turning five shades of red, and I end it with, "Runners safe on second and third... So what's the problem?" Ball back in play, KO, ground out, inning over.

Talking about it later, we just settled on... Some people just experience sudden hearing loss, and really should see a doctor.

[SoCal Lurker]

Talking about it later, we just settled on... Some people just experience sudden hearing loss, and really should see a doctor.

 

It's all about what they are paying attention to.  While he should  be aware of the IFF situation, which means he should be aware of that call being made, it is apparent his focuse was entirely on his runners. Ever see the bouncing ball/ gorrilla video?  His runner was the bouncing balls and your IFF call was the gorilla.

[JHSump]

"Ever see the bouncing ball/ gorrilla video?"

 

Scary.  That actually does explain many perception mistakes.  You are certainly paying attention, very intense attention, but you can miss the obvious anyway.

[bleacher_bum]

As a coach, in the IFF situation, you should watch a listen for the call, (i ALWAYS look and listen for it).  Because as a coach, you should teach your players this rule.  My 9 year old can quote this rule to a "T".  That being said, it is far more important for a base runner to hear it than a coach, but SOMEONE has to hear it.  Not verbalizing, (to Me), is not acceptable.  It's the umpire's judgement that makes a particular fly ball an IFF by rule.  It's too hard to go back after the fact and say it was an IFF.  Runners and base coaches need to know if they are protected or not...

[maven]

Not verbalizing, (to Me), is not acceptable.  It's the umpire's judgement that makes a particular fly ball an IFF by rule.  It's too hard to go back after the fact and say it was an IFF. 

 

This is false. It's an IFF if it meets the criteria, whether anyone signals, speaks, or even notices.

 

This is true. But whose fault is that, coach?

[johnnyg08]

It's too hard to go back after the fact and say it was an IFF.

it's not that tough and in fact you have rule support to do so. It would kind of suck to have to do, but to fix it really isn't that tough. Call the batter out and return the runners.

except for the out, it's no different than a close foul ball where guys are running. call it foul and the runners return.

It's certainly not great umpiring to not verbalize/call an infield fly, but it is pretty easy to fix.

[bleacher_bum]

 

It's too hard to go back after the fact and say it was an IFF.

it's not that tough and in fact you have rule support to do so. It would kind of suck to have to do, but to fix it really isn't that tough. Call the batter out and return the runners.

except for the out, it's no different than a close foul ball where guys are running. call it foul and the runners return.

It's certainly not great umpiring to not verbalize/call an infield fly, but it is pretty easy to fix.

 

Agreed.  I've just seen it not "fixed" as you describe.  Runners called out for advancing on a non verbalized IFF and such.  Just too messy IMO.

[Jimurray]

These coaches come unglued because of the money involved. Our instance was during a weekend U13/U14 tournament with a $XXX entry fee (I will only describe it as steep), and the assembled teams were from pretty significant distances for a 8:00AM first pitch, which adds to the angst.

Third game into the day for us, and my partner and I have been passing the between-game intervals with scenarios and battle-stories, and the whole specter of "the silent (or unheard) call". Batting team has been having problems all day (we did their 8:00AM game too) in advancing base runners, leading to a frustratingly high H and BB number but a very (and losing) low R quantity. Their kids just seemed to be station-to-station runners. They get BR's on 1B and 2B, nobody out, for the third time this game, and the 3BC (who is the head coach) is already starting to pace like a tiger in his box. To give you one more nugget of info, they hadn't scored on those two previous situations, and they're down by 2. I'm in C position, behind the SS (at his request), able to see everything I need to. My partner and I, at the start of the AB, affirm via signal to remind of infield fly.

Fourth pitch in and a silo shot goes up... No question this is an IF, right at the F3, 2-3 steps off the bag towards the mound. I bellow "Infield Fly!", make the gesture, and point at the batter to indicate he is out. A shade later, my partner does the same, but he is jogging up the line telling the batter he is out. With everything in motion, I come into the infield, and wouldn't you know it, F3 is wearing handcuffs and muffs the catch. Cue the Circus Fire Drill. Runners are running everywhere... Fielders are running everywhere. At some point, the SS ends up with the ball and has the TBR _dead to rights_ in the 1B-2B base path, and inexplicably doesn't tag him, instead turning his body to throw to his C at home to prevent the LBR from scoring. In the ensuing rundown there, the LBR ends up safely at 3B, in a heap with his 3BC having an aneurysm. TBR is standing, with a goofy grin on his face, on 2B. Batter is standing on 1B, talking with the F3 about who-knows-what (the F3 was the only one who didn't participate in the rundown... I'm not kidding. F7-F9 all joined in).

With everything now settled, I call time to allow my partner to get his mask back on and give everybody a chance to re-focus. I then state, "Infield fly was called, batter (pointing again towards 1B) is out." To the credit of the 3BC, he did not use an expletive and read me the riot act (for which I would have tossed him), but he sure did crack the cover by starting with a "What the...?! You never called it!!!" And storming right up to the chalk on the line. I replied that yes, we did call it, and that probably everybody in the stands heard it. My partner then interjected that he too called it, albeit only loud enough for the ODH to hear. The batter had, in fact, even resigned himself to his being out, but because F3 had dropped it, thought that something had changed and had stood on first base, where a talk with the stunned F3 about something on MTV's Ridiculousness or Miley Cyrus being hot was in order. 3BC kept fuming, turning five shades of red, and I end it with, "Runners safe on second and third... So what's the problem?" Ball back in play, KO, ground out, inning over.

Talking about it later, we just settled on... Some people just experience sudden hearing loss, and really should see a doctor.

These coaches come unglued because of the money involved. Our instance was during a weekend U13/U14 tournament with a $XXX entry fee (I will only describe it as steep), and the assembled teams were from pretty significant distances for a 8:00AM first pitch, which adds to the angst.

Third game into the day for us, and my partner and I have been passing the between-game intervals with scenarios and battle-stories, and the whole specter of "the silent (or unheard) call". Batting team has been having problems all day (we did their 8:00AM game too) in advancing base runners, leading to a frustratingly high H and BB number but a very (and losing) low R quantity. Their kids just seemed to be station-to-station runners. They get BR's on 1B and 2B, nobody out, for the third time this game, and the 3BC (who is the head coach) is already starting to pace like a tiger in his box. To give you one more nugget of info, they hadn't scored on those two previous situations, and they're down by 2. I'm in C position, behind the SS (at his request), able to see everything I need to. My partner and I, at the start of the AB, affirm via signal to remind of infield fly.

Fourth pitch in and a silo shot goes up... No question this is an IF, right at the F3, 2-3 steps off the bag towards the mound. I bellow "Infield Fly!", make the gesture, and point at the batter to indicate he is out. A shade later, my partner does the same, but he is jogging up the line telling the batter he is out. With everything in motion, I come into the infield, and wouldn't you know it, F3 is wearing handcuffs and muffs the catch. Cue the Circus Fire Drill. Runners are running everywhere... Fielders are running everywhere. At some point, the SS ends up with the ball and has the TBR _dead to rights_ in the 1B-2B base path, and inexplicably doesn't tag him, instead turning his body to throw to his C at home to prevent the LBR from scoring. In the ensuing rundown there, the LBR ends up safely at 3B, in a heap with his 3BC having an aneurysm. TBR is standing, with a goofy grin on his face, on 2B. Batter is standing on 1B, talking with the F3 about who-knows-what (the F3 was the only one who didn't participate in the rundown... I'm not kidding. F7-F9 all joined in).

With everything now settled, I call time to allow my partner to get his mask back on and give everybody a chance to re-focus. I then state, "Infield fly was called, batter (pointing again towards 1B) is out." To the credit of the 3BC, he did not use an expletive and read me the riot act (for which I would have tossed him), but he sure did crack the cover by starting with a "What the...?! You never called it!!!" And storming right up to the chalk on the line. I replied that yes, we did call it, and that probably everybody in the stands heard it. My partner then interjected that he too called it, albeit only loud enough for the ODH to hear. The batter had, in fact, even resigned himself to his being out, but because F3 had dropped it, thought that something had changed and had stood on first base, where a talk with the stunned F3 about something on MTV's Ridiculousness or Miley Cyrus being hot was in order. 3BC kept fuming, turning five shades of red, and I end it with, "Runners safe on second and third... So what's the problem?" Ball back in play, KO, ground out, inning over.

Talking about it later, we just settled on... Some people just experience sudden hearing loss, and really should see a doctor.

I dont understand why you went behind the SS. I think TBR stands for lead base runner and LBR stands for lagging base runner? Why was you PU jogging up the 1b line?

[MadMax]

@Jimurray - As I said, I was in C position, but just behind F6 at his request. LBR = Lead Base Runner (R2) and TBR = Trailing Base Runner (R1). As soon as the infield fly went up, I called it an Infield Fly, pointed straight up with my right hand, and stepped into the infield. I also pointed at the batter with my left hand saying, "Batter is out". I may have said my PU "jogged up the line", but that might be a guess on my part to explain how he ended up out from behind home plate and a few steps towards 1B and the mound. He told me later he called Infield Fly as well, and then trailed after the batter telling him he was out. Evidently, no one on the offensive team, who occupied the 3BL dugout, heard either one of us, except the ODH. F3 flubbing the catch started the circus.

[Jimurray]

@Jimurray - As I said, I was in C position, but just behind F6 at his request. LBR = Lead Base Runner (R2) and TBR = Trailing Base Runner (R1). As soon as the infield fly went up, I called it an Infield Fly, pointed straight up with my right hand, and stepped into the infield. I also pointed at the batter with my left hand saying, "Batter is out". I may have said my PU "jogged up the line", but that might be a guess on my part to explain how he ended up out from behind home plate and a few steps towards 1B and the mound. He told me later he called Infield Fly as well, and then trailed after the batter telling him he was out. Evidently, no one on the offensive team, who occupied the 3BL dugout, heard either one of us, except the ODH. F3 flubbing the catch started the circus.

We normally do not go behind the SS at his request. We might move left or right from C or B (which are half way between the pitchers plate and 2B and on a line from HP tangent to the mound on the appropriate side). There are situations where we might be abeam or slightly beside and behind the fielder but this wasn't one of them. As I'm typing I wonder if I've been hooked by a troll.

[MadMax]

Nope, not a troll. I'll be the first to admit that my initial positioning might not be kosher, blue-ribbon approved all the time every time, but I get to the angle/position I need to, and my partner PU has never pointed out something otherwise. I caught wind of what you (@jimurray) are alluding to – that by being outside the base path I'm not in an Approved By The Manual position – two weeks ago when a rookie umpire, fresh out of the classes asked, "And we stay on the infield at B and C the entire time, right?" Instead of being a complete @$$ and replying "No, I actually go outside the base paths when there are runners on, in a U11 game, and with short base paths, space gets pretty tight in the infield...", I just said, "Sure". Yeah, he's probably right – he just had the Manual in his hands a few days prior.

So in this case, a wound-up U13 F6, with R1 and R2 and no-one out, and a RHB coming up, asks this Umpire to move, because I can see he wants to jump on a grounder his way and either start a DP or get to it and flip it to 3B... Point is, I stepped back into what might be described as C-deep, just a step or two towards 3B off 2B and no more than 3 steps off the base path. I felt it gave me the best vantage point to A) be out of the way of a play, B) get to 3B if R2 breaks for it, C) get to a good angle to see 1B if the play goes that way.

If Mike Prince or Maven or RichMSN or UIC weigh in on this and whump me for being out of position, I'll listen...

[LMSANS]

I don't understand your rationalization for being behind F6. Is this 60' bases? On 90' bases, I have never had F4/F6 ask me to move more than a step left or right. Larry Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 2

[MadMax]

This particular situation was 90' BP. With a fast infield and a wound-up F6 (this kid had to be on something... copious amounts of sugar, perhaps), I did _not_ want to be in the way if anything came this direction. So, I just went where someone wasn't. I'm not saying it was blue-ribbon quality positioning (PBR me!), but it's what I did. I often found myself in a similar location on 60' BP's with U10's, because it gets real crowded in there, and you as the BU have to watch the pitcher _and_ the BR's to make sure they're not leaving their base until the pitch crosses the plate.

[noumpere]

Sure that's a reason to go back when its 60 foot bases.  But never go back (well, unless the infield is in maybe) on 90 foot bases.

[catsbackr]

The infield must have been in. That's the only reason I can see for going behind the SS. Otherwise you would be in the outfield grass.

[Mike Prince]

Don't go outside on 90', puts you at a major disadvantage on pickoffs and it's a terrible position (IMO) to see anything else from.  Now if the infield in in, you may possibly be behind the infielders, which is fine.  But being outside of the baseline creates a whole lot more problems than it's going to solve.  I've had plenty of F4/F6 ask me to move a step to the right or the left, never anything else.

[bleacher_bum]

 

Not verbalizing, (to Me), is not acceptable.  It's the umpire's judgement that makes a particular fly ball an IFF by rule.  It's too hard to go back after the fact and say it was an IFF. 

 

This is false. It's an IFF if it meets the criteria, whether anyone signals, speaks, or even notices.

 

This is true. But whose fault is that, coach?

 

Understood.  But how could no one signal, speak or notice it blue?  lol  I do get it, and I agree you're right.

[blue23ll]

What is middle school varsity? But I digress. I stopped verbalizing IFF when I worked the Mens Senior Baseball 70+ league, most of those old buzzards were deaf.

[KLAH316]

What is middle school varsity? But I digress. I stopped verbalizing IFF when I worked the Mens Senior Baseball 70+ league, most of those old buzzards were deaf.

Wow.... this thread got new life.....

MS Varsity is what it sounds like.... 7th/8th grade combined. This league has JV and Varsity level. Damn good baseball for MS.

[mstaylor]

What is middle school varsity? But I digress. I stopped verbalizing IFF when I worked the Mens Senior Baseball 70+ league, most of those old buzzards were deaf.

Hey easy on the old buzzard comments.

[johnnyg08]

I stopped verbalizing IFF when I worked the Mens Senior Baseball 70+ league, most of those old buzzards were deaf.

Speak up!      

[Mr Ump]

I always verbalize it. That is part of my job as a umpire so I do it.