Mechanics/angle

[gymcoch]

Base umping. Rundown between 2B and 3B. I am in working area between 2B and 3B. Runner decides to go back to 2B. He avoids the tag by getting around the fielder with the ball (within 3 feet). He falls and is scrambling back to 2B. I see, from behind the fielder, the fielder tag the runner before he reaches the bag. 1B coach (and crowd on 1B side-for what its worth) ask why he's safe. Apparently he missed the tag on the runner. I was in the right spot and called what looked like a tag out. Did I botch the call? Could/should I have been in a different spot?

Thanks in advance.

 

[maven]

Sounds about right. See an out, call an out!

"Coach, he tagged the runner off the base." Done.

[MT73]

If you were in the right spot and saw the tag then how could you have blown it?

Never let the crowd or a coach make you doubt yourself but if you feel that you were blocked out and the manager asks you to go for help then it is up to you if that is what you want to do.

However, your partner should have been at cutout near 3B so it is unlikely that he would have had a better angle.

 

[Richvee]

6 minutes ago, MT73 said:

However, your partner should have been at cutout near 3B so it is unlikely that he would have had a better angle.?

 

^^^this^^^^

If your partner was where he should be you could have gone to the 2B side of the play and have R2 coming towards you back into 2B. Now if you had a partner like mine today, who basically could have been sitting on a stool behind the plate, then you were where you need to be, in the middle of the rundown. If you have a tag, call it. Fans and coaches see what they want to see, not what actually happens.

[beerguy55]

2 hours ago, Richvee said:

Fans and coaches see what they want to see, not what actually happens

Sometimes what they want to see is actually what happened.

I agree in principle - if you see a tag, call an out and stand by it.  But when the fielder is between you and the runner, and the runner is moving away from you, it's pretty easy to "see" a tag that in fact missed by six inches.  The 1b coach, and anyone on that side of the field, would have the perfect angle to see that.

And so yes, sometimes you're in a crappy position, and everyone who were just on the wrong side of your call were in a perfect angle.   Ooops.  It happens.  It evens out in the end.

[BrianC14]

2 hours ago, Richvee said:

^^^this^^^^

If your partner was where he should be you could have gone to the 2B side of the play and have R2 coming towards you back into 2B. Now if you had a partner like mine today, who basically could have been sitting on a stool behind the plate, then you were where you need to be, in the middle of the rundown. If you have a tag, call it. Fans and coaches see what they want to see, not what actually happens.

You had to work with that guy too?

I had him early season.  Never again. 

[ElkOil]

5 hours ago, gymcoch said:

I see, from behind the fielder, the fielder tag the runner before he reaches the bag... Did I botch the call?

You say you saw the tag. What was there to botch?

There will be plenty of times when a coach and/or fans get on you for a call. Sometimes they do see something you don't see. But in this case, you stated you saw the tag, which means you got it right. Right?

[noumpere]

At some point during a rundown where the runner is scrambling past a fielder for the base, you're going to be straight-lined.  Try to figure out when that will be and when the tag attempt will be made and then try to move so that the straight-line doesn't happen during the tag attempt.  It's tough to do, and the timing can change in a hurry.

 

Also, you can try to read the fielder and the runner after the attempt to determine what happened (does the fielder try another tag attempt or keep chasing the runner?  -- he probably missed the tag)

Finally, it's (usually) the runner who erred in getting into the rundown.  Give the benefit of the doubt to the defense that a tag was made.

[Aging_Arbiter]

On ‎6‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 9:51 PM, MT73 said:

If you were in the right spot and saw the tag then how could you have blown it?

Never let the crowd or a coach make you doubt yourself but if you feel that you were blocked out and the manager asks you to go for help then it is up to you if that is what you want to do.

However, your partner should have been at cutout near 3B so it is unlikely that he would have had a better angle.

 

No matter what call you make............50% will love the call, 50% will hate it.

[beerguy55]

3 hours ago, Aging_Arbiter said:

No matter what call you make............50% will love the call, 50% will hate it.

Only if it's in dispute or close.

If BR is out by six steps and you call him out 100% will be indifferent.

[BrianC14]

14 hours ago, Aging_Arbiter said:

No matter what call you make............50% will love the call, 50% will hate it.

Yup.   The life of the baseball umpire.