Did that play really just happen?

[Thawk]

So working state LL majors tournament this weekend.  Had a play that made me and the PU say, "did that just happen?"  So bases loaded, BR goes for bunt (team was blowing out opponent 14-0 top in top 2nd-coaches were keeping foot off the gas).  Bunt goes straight down, strikes the plate and bounces straight up.  As the ball flies up of the plate, F2 reaches out, grabs the ball out of the air, and lands with ball on the plate.  PU stands there for a second, looks up to me down the 3B line (I was working 3rd).  I give him a fair ball signal, and he then calmly calls the out.  R3 looked like someone had shot his dog.  Afterwards, crew got together for debrief, and had a good laugh about the play.  Not one of us had ever seen that happen.

[Jimurray]

1 hour ago, Thawk751 said:

So working state LL majors tournament this weekend.  Had a play that made me and the PU say, "did that just happen?"  So bases loaded, BR goes for bunt (team was blowing out opponent 14-0 top in top 2nd-coaches were keeping foot off the gas).  Bunt goes straight down, strikes the plate and bounces straight up.  As the ball flies up of the plate, F2 reaches out, grabs the ball out of the air, and lands with ball on the plate.  PU stands there for a second, looks up to me down the 3B line (I was working 3rd).  I give him a fair ball signal, and he then calmly calls the out.  R3 looked like someone had shot his dog.  Afterwards, crew got together for debrief, and had a good laugh about the play.  Not one of us had ever seen that happen.

You poached his call. But probably,for the best.

[Replacematt]

50 minutes ago, Jimurray said:

You poached his call. But probably,for the best.

Maybe. We pregame that for plays on the line (fair-foul, tag) that we make eye contact, and if the primary umpire doesn't have a good look, he waits on the call in case the secondary umpire has a better one.

[stkjock]

F2 made no attempt to retire BR?

[Thawk]

2 hours ago, stkjock said:

F2 made no attempt to retire BR?

3rd out of the inning

[stkjock]

ahhh ha! Thanks Thawk

[Thawk]

On ‎7‎/‎26‎/‎2016 at 0:30 AM, Jimurray said:

You poached his call. But probably,for the best.

@Jimurray, PU still got to make his out call.  My signal to him was me just pointing fair, didn't extend my arm or say anything.  Was still dumbfounded by the play.

[Replacematt]

10 minutes ago, Thawk751 said:

@Jimurray, PU still got to make his out call.  My signal to him was me just pointing fair, didn't extend my arm or say anything.  Was still dumbfounded by the play.

Fair/foul is still his call on this.

[Stk004]

12 minutes ago, Matt said:

Fair/foul is still his call on this.

Seems like good communication to me.

[Replacematt]

6 minutes ago, Stk004 said:

Seems like good communication to me.

See my comment above.

[Stk004]

31 minutes ago, Matt said:

Fair/foul is still his call on this.

 

On Monday, July 25, 2016 at 10:21 PM, Matt said:

Maybe. We pregame that for plays on the line (fair-foul, tag) that we make eye contact, and if the primary umpire doesn't have a good look, he waits on the call in case the secondary umpire has a better one.

These two just seemed to contradict to me.

[maven]

1 hour ago, Stk004 said:

These two just seemed to contradict to me.

The problem here is that on a ball fielded more or less directly over the plate, both foul lines are in play. U1/U3 each has a look down one of them but not the other, so PU is not only primary for this call, he's really the only umpire to make the call.

Matt was reporting the usual mechanic for primary/secondary on fair/foul, but that's going to come into play on balls farther down the line. For example, if F1 fields a ball in front of the base but his body is between PU and the ball, PU has primary for that call but can't see it; whereas U1 should have a great look at the ball right in front of him. In that case, PU can yield the call to the umpire who can see the ball. Same if F3 fields the ball behind the base but has is body between the ball and U1: U1 has no look at it, but it's his primary.

[Thawk]

On 7/27/2016 at 1:44 PM, Matt said:

Fair/foul is still his call on this.

@Matt really??  talk about being a killjoy.  How about reading the whole thing and not just focusing on "what was not done correctly."  The whole reason I put this story on the page was to be a "funny story".  How about for you just read the story, and say to yourself "that is an interesting play."  Just like some coaches, parents, and players out there, some umpires need to stop being so DAMN serious and enjoy the game.

[Replacematt]

2 hours ago, Thawk751 said:

@Matt really??  talk about being a killjoy.  How about reading the whole thing and not just focusing on "what was not done correctly."  The whole reason I put this story on the page was to be a "funny story".  How about for you just read the story, and say to yourself "that is an interesting play."  Just like some coaches, parents, and players out there, some umpires need to stop being so DAMN serious and enjoy the game.

I don't know how many guys I've had to tell to take their own advice, but join the club. Read the whole thing. I didn't focus on what was done incorrectly. I responded to another poster.

And I will take this seriously. This is not only a hobby, but a profession. If you cannot treat it as both, then you're doing it wrong.