UVa vs. NC State Sunday

[Umpete]

After a beautiful Easter Sunrise Service, my family travelled to Charlottesville for the final game in the series between these 2 rivals. My 13 YO son gets to throw out the first pitch (a gift from a radio DJ) and we settle in for the deciding game in the series. Of course I'm focusing on the umpires. I have been told by my HS Assignor to study up on 3-Man mechanics for the upcoming HS district/regional tournaments, and it sure does help to see it happening in real time. Everything goes normally except for one slightly unusual play. R2 and R3, batter hits a one-hopper to F5 with R3 breaking on contact. F5 fires to F2 getting R3 in a rundown, and R2 advances. With R2 standing on third, F2 runs R3 all the way back to third. With both R2 and R3 standing on the base, F2 tags R3 and everyone relaxes. U3 makes no call. F2 turns and trots back home and R3 walks into the dugout, at which time U3 signals the out for abandonment. I excitedly explain the call to my wife, who just

Question: If you were U3, would you have signaled safe, or made no call?

[MT_Blue]

If I read that correctly the call should have been made right when R3 was tagged, he should have been out only by the tag not abandonment. Like I said I may have missed something and if I did I hope others would chime in.

[JaxRolo]

If I read that correctly the call should have been made right when R3 was tagged, he should have been out only by the tag not abandonment. Like I said I may have missed something and if I did I hope others would chime in.

The following runner is out when tagged. R3 is safe.

I would have signaled safe.

[noumpere]

Signal and call safe. There was a play and a play deserves a call. Its not a guessing game.

[mtnump]

2 schools of thought...

As an coach, offensiveley, even if you are not sure of the rule, if you don't hear "out!" then why are you not telling R3 to stay on the base? The 3rd BC is standing right there! Defensively, again assuming ignorance of the actual rule, you have F5 tag both because someone has got to be out!

As an umpire you do have to make a call. Not the big, demonstrative "SAFE!" but just a simple verbal with a signal. Then you are just hoping that F5 is smart enough to tag R2!

At the D1 level these coach's ignorance of this LL rule is kind of ridiculous.

[mazzamouth]

Yes U3 should have signal safe.. so the runner knows he is safe... and therefore it won't lead to any things happening like it did.... I have learned this in the many of 3 man camps I have been to.

[SnareDrum]

What a great question!

Answer (since you asked us for one): I make the safe call, at the minimum the signal, but probably as mtnump said, the verbal with the signal.

[Dragon29]

There was a play and a play deserves a call.

This is the best answer posted - everything else is just filler.

[SnareDrum]

There was a play and a play deserves a call.

This is the best answer posted - everything else is just filler.

Yep! Everything else, indeed could be filler, but he did ask a great question and request answers. Great answers AND input showing up with the filler. (OP reminds me of MLB Playoffs a year or two ago and Tim McClelland at 3B w/ two runners. Interesting call there, too.)