Taking play at plate

[Gfoley4]

Had a call last night that I'm pretty confident I got right, but I was in an awful position to judge. Incoming play at the plate. I get to 3BLX and read that the throw is a little up the line and catcher is going catcher is going to have to catch the ball on the foul side of 3BL, so I stay at 3BLX instead of rotating into fair territory. Just as the ball gets there F2 comes up and makes a swipe tag and I'm completely straight lined. I was 85% sure he didn't get him, so I made a loud safe call. Is there anything I could have done better on this? 

[Thunderheads]

Well..without seeing it, and without being critical.....  going into fair territory would only work if you have your F2 going into fair.  Are you saying that if you would have stayed at 3blx you would have been fine?

[maven]

You have the geometry of the "wedge" right in your head: we rotate into fair when F2 is in fair, because he'll swipe left (sorry, Tinder generation) to get the runner. This keeps our angle between F2 and runner open, and we can see the tag.

When F2 moves into foul, he's going to be swiping right, making everything mirror image. So take a step back away from fair, and keep the angle open the other direction (because he's swiping the other direction).

This play is difficult because (a) we don't practice plays at the plate much, so we don't have patterns uploaded to our brains to match these plays, (b) the plays we do see generally have F2 in fair, not in foul, and (c) it happens in a heartbeat, which doesn't give us time to process it.

[noumpere]

And ...  if F2 goes up the line the swipe tag can be on (or at) the back of the runner, even if F2 hasn't rotated much -- and to see that we need to move up the line with F2 (but that takes us out of the wedge).

[johnpatrick]

As others have said stay on the catcher's runner side hip pocket.  If he moves into foul territory, you do as well.  If he moves up the line, the play is no longer going to be at the plate so you move up the line as well.  You learned a valuable lesson.  The fair territory side of 3BLE is not always the place to be.  Read the catcher.  This is an excellent video describing the process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1wKCwS_kaQ

[MidAmUmp]

I tweeted this...

 

[Gfoley4]

5 hours ago, Thunderheads said:

Well..without seeing it, and without being critical.....  going into fair territory would only work if you have your F2 going into fair.  Are you saying that if you would have stayed at 3blx you would have been fine?

No, I'm saying I did take it at 3BLX because I read the catcher as having to swipe "right" because he was in foul territory. Turns out, he was able to come up and swipe left, leaving me straightlined.

[Stk004]

I had plays at the plate explained to me by a MiLB umpire after I botched one from 3BLX. It's easier with a diagram. 

Basically, follow the catcher. If he's in fair territory, you're in fair territory. If he moves up the line, you move up the line. If he's in foul territory, you're in foul territory. Then, once the throw is coming in and you see where the tag is going to be applied, you can begin to rotate accordingly while still following the concept of "following the catcher." As the catcher turns to his left, you will take a few steps around to your right in order to stay behind the catcher. This will give you a great look at where the tag is made (or missed) and you won't be blocked out by anything. 

[Richvee]

14 hours ago, johnpatrick said:

As others have said stay on the catcher's runner side hip pocket.  If he moves into foul territory, you do as well.  If he moves up the line, the play is no longer going to be at the plate so you move up the line as well.  You learned a valuable lesson.  The fair territory side of 3BLE is not always the place to be.  Read the catcher.  This is an excellent video describing the process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1wKCwS_kaQ

 

Interesting. I don't know who EPHSUA is, but that's a video from a COG clinic. I'm attending their 2 man clinic this weekend. Great instructors. Looking forward to tomorrow's fieldwork and cage sessions.

[Kevin_K]

As usual, @Richvee has beaten me to the punch.

Like him, I am currently attending one of the COG's camps this week. While he is at their annual two man clinic, I am ass deep into their week long three man camp. The live game evaluations are immensely helpful offering insight, encouragement, and steps to improvement. Their approach to instruction keeps the student as the center of attention through individualized instruction and feedback from multiple evaluators. They listen to any questions and offer suggestions for improvement for any concern their student have.

 

[BrianC14]

On 6/29/2017 at 7:19 AM, maven said:

You have the geometry of the "wedge" right in your head: we rotate into fair when F2 is in fair, because he'll swipe left (sorry, Tinder generation) to get the runner. This keeps our angle between F2 and runner open, and we can see the tag.

When F2 moves into foul, he's going to be swiping right, making everything mirror image. So take a step back away from fair, and keep the angle open the other direction (because he's swiping the other direction).

This play is difficult because (a) we don't practice plays at the plate much, so we don't have patterns uploaded to our brains to match these plays, (b) the plays we do see generally have F2 in fair, not in foul, and (c) it happens in a heartbeat, which doesn't give us time to process it.

This wedge idea works; at least it did for me yesterday.   At first the play didn't appear to me that it would be close, but the throw from F9 to F3 cutting off, then F3's throw to F2 was  a bit up the line but still in fair territory a bit, I see the runner adjust slightly more to his left (closer to fair, but still in foul territory), and he slides in, with F2 sweeping from his right to left.  I moved a step, maybe a step and a half off of 3BLX to my left (with F2 as he moves) and the view was just right.   

Kudos to you guys here at U-E for explaining this wedge mechanic, it saved the day !