Can Umpire Call Play He Didn't See?

[DerbyDay03]

Please evaluate this situation for me. How would you call it?

Girls JV softball game with a single umpire.

- Runners on 2nd and 3rd.
- Batter hits a sinking line drive to the pitcher who makes a shoestring catch, stumbling towards first base.
- Runner on 3rd tags and takes off for home.
- Pitcher turns and throws to home.
- Catcher misses the ball and it rolls to the backstop.
- Runner from 3rd crosses the plate.
- 2 steps behind the runner from 3rd is the runner from 2nd, who also crosses the plate.
- Opposing coach tells the umpire that the runner from 2nd didn’t tag up.
- Umpires says "I was watching the catch and then the play at the plate. I didn't see what happened at 2nd so I can't call it."
- Coach asks the umpire to explain how the runner from 2nd could have been that close to the runner from 3rd unless she left early.
- Umpire says "I can't explain it, but I didn't see her leave early so I can't call it."

Was that the correct call or can the umpire use his judgment and assume the runner left early based on her proximity to the runner from 3rd?

Thanks!

[TG Coach]

He made the right call. He can't assume anything.

[Baseball gLove]

That was the correct call. I loved it when my son hit a 2 run triple, then gets called out at 3rd base, because the opposing coach suggested that my son with almost no stride was out of the box. I think he would have needed to have performed the splits to have had one foot out of the box.

[KCGHOST]

In truth, an umpire can do whatever he wants. You would like to think an ump wouldn't call what he didn't see.

How do you hit a "sinking liner to the pitcher"???

[CoachHenry]

In truth, an umpire can do whatever he wants. You would like to think an ump wouldn't call what he didn't see.

How do you hit a "sinking liner to the pitcher"???

MASSIVE top spin.

[DerekD]

I wonder what the umpired looked at once he had the first out. I'm guessing the ump should've snapped his head over to third to check the tag since that's the more important of the two runners. I can't imagine that the ump didn't see the runner from 2nd already approaching 3rd at that point.

On the other hand, if the catcher catches the ball, neither of those runs score anyway.

[soberdennis]

Could the second base umpire have ruled on whether the runner had left early?

[Utility07]

There was no second base umpire. Thats the problem. If you want that call made, you need to pay for it.

[jbooth]

Please evaluate this situation for me. How would you call it?

Girls JV softball game with a single umpire.

- Runners on 2nd and 3rd.
- Batter hits a sinking line drive to the pitcher who makes a shoestring catch, stumbling towards first base.
- Runner on 3rd tags and takes off for home.
- Pitcher turns and throws to home.
- Catcher misses the ball and it rolls to the backstop.
- Runner from 3rd crosses the plate.
- 2 steps behind the runner from 3rd is the runner from 2nd, who also crosses the plate.
- Opposing coach tells the umpire that the runner from 2nd didn’t tag up.
- Umpires says "I was watching the catch and then the play at the plate. I didn't see what happened at 2nd so I can't call it."
- Coach asks the umpire to explain how the runner from 2nd could have been that close to the runner from 3rd unless she left early.
- Umpire says "I can't explain it, but I didn't see her leave early so I can't call it."

Was that the correct call or can the umpire use his judgment and assume the runner left early based on her proximity to the runner from 3rd?

Thanks!

"You can't call what you didn't see" is a mantra pounded into umpire's heads at umpire school.

[azmatsfan]

We had an eerily similar play in our game a couple nights ago. Our first baseman made a catch while coliding with the second baseman, so the runner on third came home. One of my assistants told our fielder to touch third base. The umpire called the runner out. The other coach told me later that the ump told him he didn't see if the runner had tagged up, but used his baseball sense to judge that he hadn't tagged up. I was watching my fielders collision so I don't what the right call was, but I didn't complain. (BTW, we only have a home plate ump.)

[Jesse]

Also, knowing where the ball is and watching the play takes precedence over making sure the runner touched all the bases or (I would assume from the below) tagged up properly.

From 9.05, General Instructions To Umpires:
Keep your eye everlastingly on the ball while it is in play. It is more vital to know just where a fly ball fell, or a thrown ball finished up, than whether or not a runner missed a base.

[DerbyDay03]

There was no second base umpire. Thats the problem. If you want that call made, you need to pay for it.

Well, we do pay for it - the second ump didn't show up for the game and it was too late to call in a sub.

[DerbyDay03]

re: I wonder what the umpired looked at once he had the first out.

After the catch was made, his attention was on the play at the plate. He apparently had no idea that the runner on 2nd was even part of the play until she crossed the plate.

re: On the other hand, if the catcher catches the ball, neither of those runs score anyway.

Not sure why you say that. The catcher would not only have to catch the ball, but also tag *both* runners for neither run to score. There was no force.

[DerbyDay03]

How do you hit a "sinking liner to the pitcher"???

Weak hit - any weaker and it would have been a decent bunt. <g>

It barely made it as far as the pitcher's mound but on the first base side, so the left handed pitcher had to run to her left and then reach down and out to catch it. With her back to plate and stumbling towards the foul line, the (aggressive) runner on third tagged and took off for home. By the time the pitcher regained her balance enough to turn and throw, she had to rush it and made a poor throw.

[korp]

He made the right call. He can't assume anything.

I agree. Thats the problem with one umpire there is always at least 1-2 calls that will get blown ... can't be in two places at once as bad as it is.