Rundown between 3rd & Home

[zoops]

I was PU in a 2 man crew with runners on 1st and 3rd.  Two hopper hit to F5 and R3 gets hung up.  Throw comes home and catcher runs down the runner and tags him about 20 feet from 3rd.  I got about 35 feet up the line about 10 feet into foul territory by the time of the tag attempt.  The runner kind of peeled toward foul territory at the time of the tag attempt and the catcher had to reach slightly to tag him with the glove.  Admittedly, I could not see F2's hand at the moment the tag occurred as I was shielded by his back.  The catcher was running with the ball in his hand, faking a throw, but brought his hands together before the tag attempt.  Upon yelling "tag," the catcher turned so that I could see that the ball was in F2's hand and I would guess that it was probably not in the glove at the time of the tag - he must not have transferred it when he quickly had to reach to tag the runner.  The runner stopped running when the tag was applied.  The coach came out and grumbled a bit and I got together with my partner who said he did not have a good look at it.  

 

1.  What could I/we have done better, coverage/position wise?

2.  If my partner would have had a no tag, how could you have fixed this?  

[maven]

You had a call to make, and you used all available info. You made your call. Partner had no help. Other than magically being able to see through players, I don't see what you could have done better. I'm assuming you were in proper position and took a read step during the tag. Stuff happens.

 

I would lose no sleep over this: R3 was a dead duck anyway.

 

If partner was 100% that it was a glove-only "tag," then you can fix it. I'd send R3 back to 3B (that's where he was heading when the rundown started), so you'd end up with bases loaded. Offense should be glad they didn't make an out on the play. Defense should be glad R3 didn't score. Next batter...

[MidAmUmp]

1.  What could I/we have done better, coverage/position wise?

You could have let your partner make the call, since it's his to begin with.

 

Tagging R3 20 feet from 3rd base, running him back to 3rd is the base umpire's call, not the plate umpire's.

[blue23ll]

Actually seeing the tag would have been good too, just sayin.

[labguy1971]

maven, on 05 Apr 2015 - 8:01 PM, said:

You had a call to make, and you used all available info. You made your call. Partner had no help. Other than magically being able to see through players, I don't see what you could have done better. I'm assuming you were in proper position and took a read step during the tag. Stuff happens.

 

I would lose no sleep over this: R3 was a dead duck anyway.

 

If partner was 100% that it was a glove-only "tag," then you can fix it. I'd send R3 back to 3B (that's where he was heading when the rundown started), so you'd end up with bases loaded. Offense should be glad they didn't make an out on the play. Defense should be glad R3 didn't score. Next batter...

Agree with Maven on this.  Sounds like you did everything that you could.  Read step is something I am still working on

[ZebraStripes]

Slow the call down and see exactly where the ball is.  With another runner on, the catcher should pull the ball into a throwing position after the tag unless there are two outs.

[kstrunk]

 

1.  What could I/we have done better, coverage/position wise?

You could have let your partner make the call, since it's his to begin with.

 

Tagging R3 20 feet from 3rd base, running him back to 3rd is the base umpire's call, not the plate umpire's.

 

Not disputing, just curious... the red PBUC manual for the 2 man system states that a rundown between 3rd and home with R1, R3, is the PU in its entirety as soon as he is able to get into position. BU is to drift back to cover a possible play on R1. When would this be the base ump's call? Thanks.

[noumpere]

 

 

1.  What could I/we have done better, coverage/position wise?

You could have let your partner make the call, since it's his to begin with.

 

Tagging R3 20 feet from 3rd base, running him back to 3rd is the base umpire's call, not the plate umpire's.

 

Not disputing, just curious... the red PBUC manual for the 2 man system states that a rundown between 3rd and home with R1, R3, is the PU in its entirety as soon as he is able to get into position. BU is to drift back to cover a possible play on R1. When would this be the base ump's call? Thanks.

 

It's not really a rundown yet, and PU isn't in position.