Infielder's Throw Hits Umpire on Play at 1st Base

[Lindsay]

Gwinett Stripers batter Yolmer Sanchez picked up an unusual infield single when Nashville Sounds third baseman Cam Devanney's throw to first base hit 1B Umpire Reed Basner...who was running in front of first base as the throw came in. Let's talk about the umpire interference rule as well as mechanics in a crew of three—why was he there?

Umpire interference is defined in both Official Baseball Rule 5.06(c)(2) and OBR 6.01(f) Comment. It occurs under just two specific circumstances:

"Umpire’s interference occurs (1) when a plate umpire hinders, impedes or prevents a catcher’s throw attempting to prevent a stolen base or retire a runner on a pick-off play; or (2) when a fair ball touches an umpire on fair territory before passing a fielder. Umpire interference may also occur when an umpire interferes with a catcher returning the ball to the pitcher."

Because the case of a non-catcher fielder throwing to retire a runner after a batted ball does not apply, there is no "Time" call to make or out/base to award: the ball is live and the runner, in this case, is safe.

As for the question of why the umpire was inside to begin with, the answer may well have to do with three-person mechanics wherein the 1B Umpire comes into the infield on a base hit to the outfield. Thus, with this batted ball grounded to the back corner of the infield along the left field line, the umpire may have erroneously thought the ball had made its way to the outfield and, thus, it was time to pivot in front of first base.

Unfortunately, the ball was fielded by the third baseman whose long throw to retire the runner ended up hitting the umpire instead.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Umpire prematurely drifts into infield, hit by a thrown ball trying to retire a runner

View the full article

[Jimurray]

1 hour ago, Lindsay said:

Gwinett Stripers batter Yolmer Sanchez picked up an unusual infield single when Nashville Sounds third baseman Cam Devanney's throw to first base hit 1B Umpire Reed Basner...who was running in front of first base as the throw came in. Let's talk about the umpire interference rule as well as mechanics in a crew of three—why was he there?

 

Umpire interference is defined in both Official Baseball Rule 5.06(c)(2) and OBR 6.01(f) Comment. It occurs under just two specific circumstances:

 

"Umpire’s interference occurs (1) when a plate umpire hinders, impedes or prevents a catcher’s throw attempting to prevent a stolen base or retire a runner on a pick-off play; or (2) when a fair ball touches an umpire on fair territory before passing a fielder. Umpire interference may also occur when an umpire interferes with a catcher returning the ball to the pitcher."

 

Because the case of a non-catcher fielder throwing to retire a runner after a batted ball does not apply, there is no "Time" call to make or out/base to award: the ball is live and the runner, in this case, is safe.

 

As for the question of why the umpire was inside to begin with, the answer may well have to do with three-person mechanics wherein the 1B Umpire comes into the infield on a base hit to the outfield. Thus, with this batted ball grounded to the back corner of the infield along the left field line, the umpire may have erroneously thought the ball had made its way to the outfield and, thus, it was time to pivot in front of first base.

 

Unfortunately, the ball was fielded by the third baseman whose long throw to retire the runner ended up hitting the umpire instead.
 

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: Umpire prematurely drifts into infield, hit by a thrown ball trying to retire a runner

View the full article

With R1, U3 was already at 2B and U1 doesn't have to pivot as a backup to 2B. He can go outside and take plays at 1B until he needs to mirror R1 from 2B to 3B. Or am I not up to date on 3-man?

[stevis]

3 hours ago, Jimurray said:

With R1, U3 was already at 2B and U1 doesn't have to pivot as a backup to 2B. He can go outside and take plays at 1B until he needs to mirror R1 from 2B to 3B. Or am I not up to date on 3-man?

The play before he had R3 only.  It's possible he spaced and was still thinking of that mechanic/situation, I suppose?

[dumbdumb]

1. not making excuses here. sooner or later it seems like u are bound to get hit by a throw, not just a batted ball. it's just if you get hit by some wild throw or not. obviously if this is a ding-able boo boo, he will get dinged on his evaluation, just like all of us.

thoughts and my mind doesn't think correctly. runner on first, is he a steal threat or has very good speed even if teams analytics say not to steal on a left hander. was he moving or stealing on the pitch or have a large lead? 1BU will be up closer for pick-off due to left hand pitcher advantage of having runner right in front or him. obviously with runner on first, he will not be in the normal position behind 1B like with nobody on, or on grass if 1B is deep.

so, deep ball to 3B. it looks like runner was already at second with a lot of speed, 2BU is releasing to go to third. looks like PU is releasing to go to third like a base hit rotation since ball is so deep and runner is fast. 1BU must now move towards home if HPU is calling 2BU off for a possible play at 3B since the throw takes longer and runner at 2B now may go to 3B. 1BU who had originally moved over in dirt for double play when ball hit, now see's/hears HPU break for 3rd. now 1BU must go on infield side of 1B and start home with a rotation. oops, misjudged being in the line of fire cutout more than planned and was hit.

in some older pictures, believe i caught Jerry Crawford moving to inside of infield at cutout on a potential double play ball since he was basically so close to the bag for a pick-off to start with. rather than backpeddling and risk mis-stepping/tripping and falling on his butt to get into the dirt area, he just stepped across first base and went to the infield cutout in the grass. however this was not a double play attempt at 2B and then 1B. just in case one ever sees that. not all guys would do that, and it may not have been proper mechanics/frowned upon back in the day when Crawford did that, but that is what looked like Crawford did in a old youtube double play situation i once saw.

great play to be ejected on if you are the manager. especially if you are on a losing streak, or if this is not exactly your favorite crew for whatever reason. just argue, then say some ejectable words or make jestures to show the umpires up, or get a delay of game ejection for arguing to long.

[MadMax]

I know the umpire who is at the crux of this. My estimate / experienced guess follows… 

Again, this is an estimate, no different than a collision repair tech gives an expert estimate to restore your car once it was in an accident. He wasn’t at that accident; he wasn’t involved in it, and he doesn’t know what your state-of-mind was during the accident, nor does it have any bearing on his estimate… 

If U1 doesn’t (adhere to a) button-hook pivot, he doesn’t get hit. 
I have largely eliminated the button-hook pivot from my repertoire and (and this is important), I teach against it when developing umpires. There is nothing that it accomplishes that cannot be replicated by a dash-&-glance. The entire reason for the button-hook pivot is to condition the BU to watch the touch (by BR) at 1B, and to remove the temptation to observe the catch/no-catch in the outfield (and potentially take the call away from the responsible Umpire (PU, in the case of 2-man)). So, it’s a silly trust exercise! 

If you understand and adhere to your role & responsibility in a play, then why does it matter which method you use to come in? Why would you have to do a button-hook pivot? 🤔 

On that note, why did college umpire camps & associations deviate from a button-hook pivot, or even a dash-&-glance, but instead advocated for a rimming technique? It had to do with the plate umpire, and the inability or impedance of PUs to get out from behind the plate to properly read and judge trouble balls, while BUs are 100 feet closer (already). 

So, that button-hook pivot is not that important. 

In that particular play in the OP, with R1 and R3, there is a Push / Slide occurring. R3 proceeds to plate (which pins PU to plate), U3 moves towards 3B in sync with R1 arriving at 2B and (potentially) proceeding to 3B. That leaves U1 to take BR. Of course, U1 comes off the line, first and foremost. Note where the ball went… down the 3B line. Even if U1 reads this as a base hit, there is nothing achieved by coming in quick and shallow (like he did) to start a button-hook pivot. If the ball travels down the left field line, to be gathered up by the left fielder, it’s going to be a throw to 3B (and then a near-90° throw to 2B), or a throw to 2B directly. If U1 performs a dash-&-glance, he can either get out in front of BR and step across the 1B-2B baseline while BR’s momentum swings him out towards RF in an arc, or U1 can… ready for this?… trail (immediately) behind by a step and “cross BR’s wake” and head for the 2B cutout that way. 
Either method keeps his chest to the ball. Which is where the button-hook pivot fails. 

So why the button-hook pivot? 🤨 My guess is that is what the evaluator(s) want to see. Like some box that needs to be checked, or… (ahem)… a hoop to be jumped thru. 

And several guys here know (or have heard my rants) about hoops, and jumping thru them. 

So yes, @dumbdumb, that umpire is going to get dinged or demerited. But as an umpire, I’d much rather get dinged for not doing a button-hook pivot than get dinged (and bruised, and publicly humiliated) for doing a “textbook” button-hook pivot right into a throw. And if he doesn’t do the button-hook pivot, he sees that F5 wind up and throw, and U1 halts / arrests his movement and watches the play at 1B, albeit awkwardly. 

#HoopsAre4Seals

[Jimurray]

31 minutes ago, MadMax said:

I know the umpire who is at the crux of this. My estimate / experienced guess follows… 

Again, this is an estimate, no different than a collision repair tech gives an expert estimate to restore your car once it was in an accident. He wasn’t at that accident; he wasn’t involved in it, and he doesn’t know what your state-of-mind was during the accident, nor does it have any bearing on his estimate… 

If U1 doesn’t (adhere to a) button-hook pivot, he doesn’t get hit. 
I have largely eliminated the button-hook pivot from my repertoire and (and this is important), I teach against it when developing umpires. There is nothing that it accomplishes that cannot be replicated by a dash-&-glance. The entire reason for the button-hook pivot is to condition the BU to watch the touch (by BR) at 1B, and to remove the temptation to observe the catch/no-catch in the outfield (and potentially take the call away from the responsible Umpire (PU, in the case of 2-man)). So, it’s a silly trust exercise! 

If you understand and adhere to your role & responsibility in a play, then why does it matter which method you use to come in? Why would you have to do a button-hook pivot? 🤔 

On that note, why did college umpire camps & associations deviate from a button-hook pivot, or even a dash-&-glance, but instead advocated for a rimming technique? It had to do with the plate umpire, and the inability or impedance of PUs to get out from behind the plate to properly read and judge trouble balls, while BUs are 100 feet closer (already). 

So, that button-hook pivot is not that important. 

In that particular play in the OP, with R1 and R3, there is a Push / Slide occurring. R3 proceeds to plate (which pins PU to plate), U3 moves towards 3B in sync with R1 arriving at 2B and (potentially) proceeding to 3B. That leaves U1 to take BR. Of course, U1 comes off the line, first and foremost. Note where the ball went… down the 3B line. Even if U1 reads this as a base hit, there is nothing achieved by coming in quick and shallow (like he did) to start a button-hook pivot. If the ball travels down the left field line, to be gathered up by the left fielder, it’s going to be a throw to 3B (and then a near-90° throw to 2B), or a throw to 2B directly. If U1 performs a dash-&-glance, he can either get out in front of BR and step across the 1B-2B baseline while BR’s momentum swings him out towards RF in an arc, or U1 can… ready for this?… trail (immediately) behind by a step and “cross BR’s wake” and head for the 2B cutout that way. 
Either method keeps his chest to the ball. Which is where the button-hook pivot fails. 

So why the button-hook pivot? 🤨 My guess is that is what the evaluator(s) want to see. Like some box that needs to be checked, or… (ahem)… a hoop to be jumped thru. 

And several guys here know (or have heard my rants) about hoops, and jumping thru them. 

So yes, @dumbdumb, that umpire is going to get dinged or demerited. But as an umpire, I’d much rather get dinged for not doing a button-hook pivot than get dinged (and bruised, and publicly humiliated) for doing a “textbook” button-hook pivot right into a throw. And if he doesn’t do the button-hook pivot, he sees that F5 wind up and throw, and U1 halts / arrests his movement and watches the play at 1B, albeit awkwardly. 

#HoopsAre4Seals

Was there an R3 on this play? Did U1 button-hook? I heard a possible explanation that makes sense. U1 moved in to call the ground out play at 1B and then thought the ball went thru for a base hit. He then to a direct route to mirror R1 from 2B to 3B to cover HP.

 

[MadMax]

4 hours ago, Jimurray said:

Was there an R3 on this play?

I misread the play sequence. I saw the display with R3 only, and thought that R1 got on with an infield hit. Instead, it was R1 only, as you pointed out. 

Even with that said, why the urgency to pivot in? Sure, you take your steps off the line to prepare for the play at 1B, but if the explanation as to why you come down on the inside of 1B to go to plate, and it’s done to “mirror R1 going to 3B”, why the urgency? As the saying goes, “where’s the fire”? Even with the thrown ball hitting the U1, R1 did not proceed to 3B!!! 

Where’s the fire?? 

Why not a (much) longer read, and arc around the outside of 1B and then down to the plate parallel to the 1BL? 

This is certainly one of those examples where the manual diagram prescribes a disaster.