B or C Position

[Mussgrass]

I umpire in a 12U house league with 60' bases, no stealing. I know that the standard wisdom is to be in C position (outside) with all runner combinations other than bases empty or R1. It seems like in C it is very easy to get straight lined on a play to 1B. Does it make sense to be in B in certain runner and out combinations? Thoughts

[Velho]

5 hours ago, Mussgrass said:

It seems like in C it is very easy to get straight lined on a play to 1B.

To avoid this you have to read and move the few steps you can get to create the angle. LL mechanic instructions can show the techniques they teach.

If you're in B you are very far from the more important runners (i.e. R3 then R2 then R1) and can get just as straight lined (and arguably more likely to) on a play at 3B or back pick into 2B.

Two man is imperfect.

[834k3r]

On 4/14/2023 at 12:14 PM, Mussgrass said:

I umpire in a 12U house league with 60' bases, no stealing. I know that the standard wisdom is to be in C position (outside) with all runner combinations other than bases empty or R1. It seems like in C it is very easy to get straight lined on a play to 1B. Does it make sense to be in B in certain runner and out combinations? Thoughts

I was taught to be in B with R1 or R1/R3...but that's not the point of the question I know, but there aren't many picks to 3B in LL/12U so I think B is better in those situations.

Regardless, @Velho's points are valid--move to "angle over distance" to improve your sightline, and two-man is imperfect.

[Jay R.]

Agree with @Velho re the approved LL mechanic. That said, when I was working LL Majors a lot:
-- If it was 1st and 3rd, I would usually move into B to have the steal. 
-- If there was R3 only, especially with two out, I would move to B on the assumption that the play was going to first. But I would be hustling inside the diamond after every pitch to get a good angle on any potential pick at third

Both of those were done at the urging of the league UIC, who was pretty active in district and state LL matters, when I voiced concerns similar to the OP. He taught the approved mechanic to everyone, but once you had his trust that you were hustling and had a good reason he encouraged us to do other things that made sense and made us more comfortable.

[Velho]

23 minutes ago, Jay R. said:

Agree with @Velho re the approved LL mechanic. That said, when I was working LL Majors a lot:
-- If it was 1st and 3rd, I would usually move into B to have the steal. 
-- If there was R3 only, especially with two out, I would move to B on the assumption that the play was going to first. But I would be hustling inside the diamond after every pitch to get a good angle on any potential pick at third

👍

I stay in C but will shade to the extremes of 3B or 2B side depending on the situation and reading the game play.

[834k3r]

22 hours ago, Jay R. said:

Both of those were done at the urging of the league UIC, who was pretty active in district and state LL matters, when I voiced concerns similar to the OP. He taught the approved mechanic to everyone, but once you had his trust that you were hustling and had a good reason he encouraged us to do other things that made sense and made us more comfortable.

I think we all agree that what the UIC/Assigner says goes.

[TheLovejoy]

The assignor of one of the leagues, and a local UIC both said that some of those 2 out C positions, R1 and R2, or bases loaded, can slide to the B position to take the most likely outs at 2nd, or 1st, for the 3rd out force out. I can see the thought, and theory behind that. 
Anybody inherently AGAINST that?

[kylehutson]

Against? Not really

Preferred? No

This was brought up at a college-level clinic. And the assigners there were pretty adamant that any umpire worth having would have time to move over on a hit ball to get a good angle on the "likely play" at first base without sacrificing the look you would get at a steal of 3rd (R1 and R2), pickoff at 3rd (bases loaded), or back-pick at 3rd (R3 only or bases loaded).