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Tuesday, August 10, 2010
The compassionate triple-play umpire?
Jeff asks:
How many times has the first base umpire incorrectly called the runner out to finish off a triple play? Groundball triple plays are pretty much always going to be close. Triple plays are sufficiently rare that you notice them when they’re happening. It’s silly to think that the umpires don’t notice. By noticing, do the umpires in any way get caught up in the whole thing, even if only subconsciously? Does this make them more likely to rule a close play out? Does it make them more likely to rule a close play safe? No umpire wants to be the guy who blew a triple play, so is it just safer to assume the out?
We were playing a company softball game. I was at SS, with no outs, and runners on 1B and 2B. There’s no leading. I kept repeating to myself, “If I get a groundball to my left, tag the runner, touch the base, and spin-throw to first base.” The groundball gods shone bright that day. I couldn’t have asked for a better groundball, both in speed and location, than what I got that day. The runner on 2B was slow off the bag, so that was an easy tag. The runner from first base was nowhere close, so that was going to be an easy DP. The key was to do the pivot by touching 2B with my right foot, and spin back.
I have to tell you, if there’s one thing, ONE THING, I’ve been practicing since forever, it’s that pivot. I may have alot of weaknesses in the rest of my game, but that one thing, that’s what I take pride in.
I make that spin, and I did my best laser throw I could. A perfect throw. Exactly how fast I wanted to throw it, exactly how I wanted to throw it. And the firstbasemen, a tall fellow with long arms, caught it outstretched to shorten the distance.
And the !@#$% umpire called him safe. Safe! Never again would I get a chance at a triple play like that, where everything went perfectly right for me.
I will say this about the umpire (single umpire game), he hustled from behind home plate, and he was keeping up with the runner. He busted his a$$ out there, and that’s the only good thing I remember about him.
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