Advanced Mechanic for Tag Plays

[Majordave]

Last night I had the pleasure to work with one of MidAmUmp's clinic instructors in a KC college wood bat league playoff tournament DH.  He is a former professional umpire and was an instructor at Jim Evans school.  Great guy.  Looks like a "Greek God"/Poster Boy for what umpires should look like in his uniform.  I worked first plate and he had second.  During first game there were two tag plays on the bases where he used a mechanic that I thought was just awesome.  I don't think I have ever used it knowingly but fully intend to in the future.

Early in game, steal attempt at 2B by R1 for visitors.  Carlos "floats" from B and is essentially perpendicular to the play and can easily see runner, base, F4 and ball converging.  Throw from F2 is a little on 1B side and up around mid-torso of the fielder.  F4 grabs the throw and gets a really quick tag on R1 as he is sliding and before he touches 2B.  Carlos taps the spot on his own side where the tag was applied, pauses then "punches the midget" for the out.  Not a word from anyone.  I have made the same call, without the tapping of the place on my body where I saw tag applied, several times and have had at least two ejections and several arguments as a result. It was a fantastic mechanic.

Later in game, 1-0 score, visitors leading and home team R1 attempts to go from 1B to 3B on a liner to deep RF gap.  F9 throws frozen rope to F6 on cutoff in mid RCF and F6 fires an equally solid frozen rope to F5 who moves up to take the throw and again tag runner in mid thigh as he is sliding.  Very close and interesting tag instead of ball on bag to await the sliding runner.  Again, Carlos pauses, taps/slaps his right thigh twice, pauses and then drops another knockout punch on the mythical midget for out #2 of that inning at 3B.  Awesome to watch and again, not a word from the dugout of home team.

I am definitely adding that mechanic whenever I can.  I do a lot of verbal stuff like "off the bag" and a sweeping motion in direction of movement by fielder followed by a safe signal or "he's on there" with a downward pointing finger ,then safe signal but this tapping of the tag location never occurred to me and I do not remember ever seeing a partner of mine doing it so emphatically and perfectly with the timing and punch out like he did.

If you go to Mid American Umpire Clinic in Springfield or the KC clinic you will get to meet Carlos and get some learnin' from him, among others.

 

 

[grayhawk]

I worked a game with a Pac12 umpire a few weeks ago and he made an out call on a pick-off to first base as BU.  Before he made the call, he tapped his right hand with his left, said "On the hand" and then punched the out.  Not a word from anyone.

[Mizzou2016]

Carlos was one of my field instructor last September - guy knows his stuff.

He has a great field presence and will make the mechanic look awesome - that's probably a huge reason the OC didn't say a word. I might not get the same response, but definitely is a testament to the fact that looking like an umpire gets you respect. 

[ElkOil]

That's a great idea, @Majordave, thanks for sharing.  I'll give this a go this weekend.  I tend to not say enough when I make tight calls and often have some explaining to do afterwards. Tell me this, when doing this mechanic, would you (or did Carlos) turn to the dugout of the team the call is against when performing the mechanic?  Would that matter?

[Majordave]

No, he just saw the play and tag.  Was in a crouch like pro umpires all get into. Then he took a second (split second-dust settled so to speak) made two emphatic taps on his right side about 4-5 inches above his belt  with his right hand while he was still in the crouch, back to the rest of the field,  then he paused again, came up out of his crouch into a standing position, hands in front of his waist, then slammed the punch down back into a semi-crouch with an emphatic "he's out!"  He then turned and jogged back to A.  It was a thing of athletic grace and beauty I tell ya'.  A thing of beauty.

[NWA_UMP]

Dave..

 

Wanna make sure I get this straight...on R1's steal to 2nd, he got perpendicular to the play. So he swung around to a point on 3rd base side to "square up" the running lane from 1st? If so did he swing around in front of the throw or did he move after the throw was by him, if after that doesn't leave much time to get set and see the play. 

 

I had one this weekend as well that showed me a new position in 3 man. As U1 with runners at 2/3rd back into a VERY deep B position, so deep that you are behind a line drawn between 1st and 2nd base on the same angle as you would be in for a 2 man setup in B. Pick plays to 2nd, just look right. Play to 1st, just back toward straight up 3-4 sets and you have a great angle to 1st. Plus you are completely out of the way for F4 to jockey back and forth to hold the runner.

 

[Majordave]

Honestly I did not see his early footwork getting from B to his position near 2B as I was watching batter to make sure no BI. But as the throw was being received by F4 I would say Carlos was about 8 -10 feet from 2B in his crouch, pretty close to dead center from plate to 2B imaginary center line, maybe 1 step toward 1B with his body lean and body language mostly perpendicular into the bag/play as R1 is sliding.  Key was the F2 had a freaking cannon and threw a laser beam with a very quick release.  I picked his mask up for him as it came off from the force of his throw right at my feet.

[LMSANS]

I have done this on occasion.  Not that I knew it was an advanced mechanic and there are many times I probably should have done it and didn't.  There's that consistency thing again.

[Mizzou2016]

If he was already set you gotta think he saw the runner go even before F2 did, swung around with his chest to the ball, turned to the left to follow the ball and got set.

The basic mechanic I was taught for this play is to take 2 steps toward the bag and turn right to follow the ball - I never liked that because I feel I get screened by the runner. I feel like I'm quick enough to get perpendicular to the play - I might try this if I get a chance.

[Majordave]

100% agree-consistency is a virtue I chase often.  

[basejester]

Lots of umpires touch a body part for a hit-by-pitch.  This seems pretty similar.

 

[maven]

This mechanic is used to help "sell" the call, especially when the tag is high, which a lot of folks read as automatically safe. If you're going to call the out, the "tap" signals that you saw the tag, saw that it was high, and that in your judgment it still beat the touch.

Not everyone will be buying, but by communicating that you saw the same high tag that they saw, it can keep people in the dugout.

[noumpere]

The mechanic also works well on (some) swipe tags at first where F3 comes off the bag.

[Richvee]

I used a similar mechanic the other night on a play at the plate. Swipe tag got the runner's shoulder before he reached the plate. I pointed at the tag with the left arm, said "Right there, on the shoulder" and banged the out. Got a few complements on the call post game.

Later in game, 1-0 score, visitors leading and home team R1 attempts to go from 1B to 3B on a liner to deep RF gap.  F9 throws frozen rope to F6 on cutoff in mid RCF and F6 fires an equally solid frozen rope to F5 who moves up to take the throw and again tag runner in mid thigh as he is sliding.

I'll assume there was an R2, and that's why you weren't taking R1 into 3rd?

[Majordave]

Yes. I had R1 and R2 when the ball was hit. I got the run at home the took a look but the play at 3rd was obviously happening. Carlos was all over it and all I could do was watch the man work. 

[Majordave]

Part 2. What a lucky guy I am. I worked two high school showcase tourney games with Carlos today. He took first plate. I got to use the advanced tag mechanic I discussed to start this thread on the FIRST PLAY of the game. First batter Walk. So R1. First pitch to second batter.--Attempted steal. Tag on R1's back by F4. I get to tap my back twice with right hand then "punch my midget" for out 1 of the top of first.  As retired runner is heading back to his dugout coach asks, "Did he get the tag before you got to the bag?"  "Yep". I was vindicated. Felt good. I didn't feel as good about the gracefulness of the mechanic as I remember Carlos doing it but it still felt great.   

[Richvee]

Sounds like you're developing quite a mancrush.

[Majordave]

How many former professional umpires/umpire school instructors do you get to work with Rich?  Hell yes I'm crushing!  It's literally a free clinic that I get paid to attend every time I work with him. 

[noumpere]

I will point out that it's a mechanic that can be useful but you don't need to use it all the time.  Had a play today where I didn't use it -- didn't need to.  Partner had a play where he didn't need to use it but he did.  Came across as "no s***" -- much like yelling "foul ball" on a ball over the backstop, etc.

 

(And, none of that is directed at Majordave, just a caution to all)

Edited July 26, 2015 by noumpere

[Richvee]

How many former professional umpires/umpire school instructors do you get to work with Rich?  Hell yes I'm crushing!  It's literally a free clinic that I get paid to attend every time I work with him. 

No malice intended. Just razzin ya. I agree 100%. I know for a fact there's a few guys I've had as clinic instructors that I'd pay to do a game with.

[BillKen]

Working with someone who is clearly better than you is always a chance to rise to the occasion and learn...and usually a lot of fun.  If you are not striving to get better and push your limits, you are pretty much done as an umpire.  I'm working with a D-3 college supervisor (who I want to work for next year) and former Atlantic League umpire next week.  Our game is just a "JV" game to him, but for me, it will be one of the most important ones of my season.  I can't wait!

[Majordave]

@Richvee. I didn't take it as anything but a good natured razz. I admit I'm enamored with his umpiring ability and willingness to share knowledge. He doesn't push it on me. I watch him and learn. I ask him and learn. It's been pretty awesome.

Tomorrow (Sunday), I have 4 games with two unknowns trying to move up I think. Hopefully I won't die of heat stroke and they won't either. Also. We can all learn something from each other. It's 18 year old showcase tourney so it should be decent baseball. But, it's Sunday so pitching may be iffy.

[Richvee]

@Richvee. I didn't take it as anything but a good natured razz. I admit I'm enamored with his umpiring ability and willingness to share knowledge. He doesn't push it on me. I watch him and learn. I ask him and learn. It's been pretty awesome.

Tomorrow (Sunday), I have 4 games with two unknowns trying to move up I think. Hopefully I won't die of heat stroke and they won't either. Also. We can all learn something from each other. It's 18 year old showcase tourney so it should be decent baseball. But, it's Sunday so pitching may be iffy.

Enjoy the day. Agree I try to learn from every partner...Even the not-so-good ones. You can learn what not to do. 

[maven]

You can learn what not to do. 

We usually know what not to do. Sometimes we (or at least I) need help recalling why we shouldn't do it.

[Richvee]

We usually know what not to do. Sometimes we (or at least I) need help recalling why we shouldn't do it.

Learn was he wrong word there....Be reminded, remember why by seeing it in action, would have been better than learn what not to do.The point remains. Try to lean (or be reminded of something) every game.