A Moment for Mechanics:
Knowing Responsibilities
By Anthony Mayer
Getting back to the basics in the two-umpire system as the season starts our mantra is…angle is primary, distance is secondary. While no mechanics manual delves into the specifics of where an umpire should take a play, know this; with only two umpires, you’re not going to be able to get as close as you’d like on some plays. Work to get a great angle and give hustle and effort to close distance.
Remember that as a plate umpire, the focus should not just be on balls and strikes. Once a ball is put into play both umpires should immediately know their responsibilities and “what comes next”.
In this play, the ball is hit hard on the third-base line, so the urgent decision is whether to rule it fair or foul. On a ball that is hit hard, it is important to create an immediate angle and get on the line you are responsible for. In this situation, there is no time to gain distance, so the fight is only for the angle. As the plate umpire, once you have ruled the ball fair, the play is not over.
We will then move on to our next responsibility. In this situation, this is now a ground ball to the infield, so the plate umpire will be responsible for a potential pulled foot, running lane violation, or swipe tag. The plate umpire on this play does a good job of bouncing back to the first baseline for his next responsibility. If any additional help had been needed with an odd situation or continued extension of this play, our umpires were in a good position to have credibility if a decision was needed that was not irregular.
This play highlights the concepts that are taught at every level. Be aware of your responsibilities before every pitch and hustle.
