Interesting Mechanic Introduced

[blue23ll]

At our association meeting Wednesday night we were shown a video. In this video they introduced a concept, that of 'rimming' (search for that in google for a laugh). 

2 Man - Nobody on, base hit in the gap (maybe a 2b or 3base hit?) , Ump in A makes a bee line to second while on the dirt, outside of the baseline. PU makes a bee line up the 1st baseline to about the 45 line. As I understood it, U1 will cut in front of BR to get in position for the play at 2nd and then move to 3rd if BR heads there? PU will watch BR touch at first then head back to the plate. 

Anyone ever used this mechanic? I was always under the impression rimming was bad. 

[SH0102]

A very well respected umpire, who uses this site, taught me this before.  It must be pre-gamed of course, but essentially any ball in U1's coverage area that does not require him to go out, this mechanic works similar to in 3-man when U3 takes the fly ball in LF while running to 2nd, holding his palm out to say "keep rotation in order b/c I got this".

Let's say the ball is caught 240 feet from home plate by the center fielder drifting towards right.  Why not let U1 take this catch from 130-140 feet away instead of 220-230 for plate umpire?  What is the difference?  Is it worth it to let HPU make call from 100+ feet further so U1 gets the touch of 1st?  PU can get that touch and let BU get the catch.

For routine plays, this is very easy no matter which way you go ("normal" or this "new").  For trouble balls, BU is going out so doesn't apply.  So when is this better?  For that weird play where the guy "should" make a fairly routine catch but bobbles, stumbles at the last minute, the RF haphazardly crashes into CF who is camped waiting for the ball.  Looks a whole lot better to make the catch/no-catch from near 2nd base than it does halfway between home and mound.

I have only ever used it with him and I tried introducing it once to a newer guy who didn't really know either way to know it was different, so I would not say it is "common", but my umpire friend who is much higher up the ladder than I said it was being taught at some advanced camps.

[MadMax]

20 hours ago, SH0102 said:

… said it was being taught at some advanced camps.

I’ll have more to say later, but… 

“Some advanced camps” ≠ OBR / Pro 

This will be integral for understanding why this has come about.

[johnnyg08]

I don't like it with two umpires. Keep it simple. 

[Replacematt]

On 2/11/2022 at 3:56 PM, SH0102 said:

So when is this better?  For that weird play where the guy "should" make a fairly routine catch but bobbles, stumbles at the last minute, the RF haphazardly crashes into CF who is camped waiting for the ball.  Looks a whole lot better to make the catch/no-catch from near 2nd base than it does halfway between home and mound.

So, indeed, when is this better? 

Not when everything is routine, because it doesn't matter to anyone but us who's making the call. 

Not when things go completely south and the ball ends up on the ground, because now you have BU on the ball and PU trailing any play beyond 1B.

It is better when things are somewhere between mostly okay and mostly not, I'll grant you. And I'll trade the better optics in those situations for making sure someone has the runner. 

[jms1425]

What I know of this mechanic is that it is only to be used if there is a trouble ball in short right field. Something in this area:



BU will rim the infield and take the ball, while PU takes the runner up the line to 1st, watching the touch, any possible obstruction, and plays back into the bag. Should the ball drop and the BR attempt to go to 2nd BU will be at 2nd base for any play there. However, this is unlikely on a ball in short right field. This puts an umpire in a much better position to rule on the catch / no catch, and still allows for coverage by BU at 2nd in the off chance a play develops there. I've never had that happen, though.

I suppose there is the possibility that a hard-hit, sinking liner could draw you into this mechanic, sink beneath the glove of F9 or F8 and get past them, and now the BR is racing to 3rd, and BU is in a bad spot. In such case, either 1) quick recognition by BU to get inside and then to 3rd, or 2) a decision by PU to cut across the infield and communicate to the BU that "I'm at 3rd", would be vital. But, again, an attempt at a triple on a ball that lands in the red area in the diagram seems pretty unlikely.

Again, though, this is ONLY for short fly balls that are potential trouble. You don't want to use this  mechanic on a ball "hit in the gap (maybe a 2b or 3base hit?)" as the OP says. If the ball is deep toward the gap and potential trouble, BU needs to go out. This mechanic would put BU out of position for plays at 2nd or 3rd, which are more likely (almost certain, really) on a deeply hit ball that drops. 

[MadMax]

On 2/22/2022 at 5:07 PM, jms1425 said:

What I know of this mechanic is that it is only to be used if there is a trouble ball in short right field.

Your explanation is appreciated, and commendable on thoroughness. 

However, who uses this, for what reasoning, and that it isn’t taught at Pro (OBR-based) school or included in a NFHS Umpire manual, says something. 

[Replacematt]

On 2/22/2022 at 6:07 PM, jms1425 said:

What I know of this mechanic is that it is only to be used if there is a trouble ball in short right field. Something in this area:



BU will rim the infield and take the ball, while PU takes the runner up the line to 1st, watching the touch, any possible obstruction, and plays back into the bag. Should the ball drop and the BR attempt to go to 2nd BU will be at 2nd base for any play there. However, this is unlikely on a ball in short right field. This puts an umpire in a much better position to rule on the catch / no catch, and still allows for coverage by BU at 2nd in the off chance a play develops there. I've never had that happen, though.

I suppose there is the possibility that a hard-hit, sinking liner could draw you into this mechanic, sink beneath the glove of F9 or F8 and get past them, and now the BR is racing to 3rd, and BU is in a bad spot. In such case, either 1) quick recognition by BU to get inside and then to 3rd, or 2) a decision by PU to cut across the infield and communicate to the BU that "I'm at 3rd", would be vital. But, again, an attempt at a triple on a ball that lands in the red area in the diagram seems pretty unlikely.

Again, though, this is ONLY for short fly balls that are potential trouble. You don't want to use this  mechanic on a ball "hit in the gap (maybe a 2b or 3base hit?)" as the OP says. If the ball is deep toward the gap and potential trouble, BU needs to go out. This mechanic would put BU out of position for plays at 2nd or 3rd, which are more likely (almost certain, really) on a deeply hit ball that drops. 

BU isn't going to be at 2B. 

1. The timing won't work. If that ball drops, the play at 2B will likely occur before BU can get into position. You seem to think that this is unlikely, but if it is, why not just go with having PU do it? And I disagree that it's unlikely--BR has nothing else to do. There's no runners holding them at 1B.
2. This puts BU looking up the back end of the play at 2B.
3. It also is a worse angle for a trouble ball. You don't want to be looking out at them, you want to be looking at them from the side whenever possible.

There are better mechanics for this already.