Mechanics

Training Refresher

From A – As the field umpire, you should go out on a fly ball on one of four separate occasions (remember the trainers quizzing you on which four)? Let’s talk about them.

1. Fair/Foul – For this one, you really have to read the ball first, then the fielder. You see a ball hit in the air over your head, you likely have a fair/foul decision to make. Pause – let me say that again – Pause. Read the fielder, make sure you are reading the play correctly. If he is camping under it, there really is no reason to go out. If the ball is thirty feet foul, there really is no reason to out. If the fielder is racing toward the line, GO OUT!
2. Converging fielders – This one seems self-evident, but it’s not. Center Fielders are usually the fastest players on the team and can get to fly balls faster than you think. A ball hit to right center may look like a routine base hit, until you see both fielders converging. Again, Pause – let me say that again – Pause. Read both fielders and make the decision. Also don’t forget, we often think of converging fielders as the center fielder and right fielder when going out on a trouble ball from the A position in 2-man mechanics. You could have several instances of converging fielders involving combinations of the center fielder, right fielder, second baseman and or first baseman.
3. Ball to the fence – In a two-man system, there really is no reason not to chase a home run from A. We aren’t losing anything, but as you know, not every field is perfectly marked. In my pre-game, I always tell my partners we need to be out if a ball leaves the yard. Remember – Pause (seeing a pattern here). Read the fielders. Sometimes kids hit “no-doubters” that you know are gone right off the bat. That’s the exception, rather than the rule. The fielders will usually either be running hard toward the fence or just looking up, admiring the home run. Go out in either case.
4. Finally, we have the trouble catch. This is, by far, the toughest read you have to make. The best advice I can give is in the form of two catch phrases that may help. The first is simply this – “When in doubt, go out!” Don’t worry if what looks at first read to be trouble, turns out to be routine. You do NOT want to be caught the other way around, on a play that looks routine and turns into trouble. Again – Pause, then read and react. The other catch phrase is this – “If you see the fielder running, go out!”

One aspect of the field umpire chasing a ball into the outfield from A that seems to be overlooked is the communication piece. Please remember two things. First, in most baseball games, there is a lot of noise, so just saying “I’m going out” is not always enough. Make sure you give some kind of hand signal (I just raise my left arm) and look toward your partner when calling out. Say his name – “Mark, I’m going out!”

As the plate umpire, you can read the ball and decide for yourself this might be a play that your partner goes out on, so start moving in that direction, just in case. Remember, if your partner goes out and communicates, make sure you communicate back. – “Tom, I have the runner!”

In closing, once U1 has the ball down fair when they have gone out on a trouble ball (and has determined there is no fan interference!), U1 needs to quickly get to foul territory on the right field side of the field and then get quickly down to the plate to prepare to take a play at the plate. Meanwhile, plate takes the batter-runner all the way around as far as third base, if necessary. Plate will have his back to home plate as he takes the batter-runner around so once U1 has arrived at the plate and is in position he should again communicate with his partner, “Mark, I have the plate!”

Now, the two umpires, working together, have this play fully covered and the batter-runner fully “bracketed”. Plate has the batter-runner at third base should there be a tag on his arrival into the bag OR a back pick should he try to advance home and then turn back for third base. U1 has the plate so, should the batter-runner try to score, U1 can adjudicate any calls at the plate.

Make sure you pre-game this stuff and make sure you discuss these situations after the game. Have a great weekend!