PU calling R1 out for leaving early?

[BigDaddy77]

At last nights HS game the PU called R1 out for leaving 2B early. There was only 1 out and we still won the game, it took away a great hit though. Play didn't even involve my DD. Out out of the many SB games I have seen at any level, I have never seen a PU make this call. How on earth did he see it if he is watching the ball come into the zone? The BU looked dumbfounded and he was standing right there beside 2B where he should be. WTF?

[wadeintothem]

PU's call.. made it myself many times. Usually it involves a runner being pretty obvious so she catches your eye, so you take a pitch and watch her, then zap her. 100% correct.

[MTR]

At last nights HS game the PU called R1 out for leaving 2B early. There was only 1 out and we still won the game, it took away a great hit though. Play didn't even involve my DD. Out out of the many SB games I have seen at any level, I have never seen a PU make this call. How on earth did he see it if he is watching the ball come into the zone? The BU looked dumbfounded and he was standing right there beside 2B where he should be. WTF?

In FP, that would be the only base the PU could make that call. Don't have to worry about the zone because the pitch isn't on the way yet. If it were, the runner couldn't have been early. And an umpire is only going to call this if, and only if, it were so obvious it actually drew the umpire's attention.

That being said, I certainly hope it wasn't something completely trivial like the runner just repositioning her foot or something similar. That, IMO, would be an OOO.

[Coach11]

At last nights HS game the PU called R1 out for leaving 2B early. There was only 1 out and we still won the game, it took away a great hit though. Play didn't even involve my DD. Out out of the many SB games I have seen at any level, I have never seen a PU make this call. How on earth did he see it if he is watching the ball come into the zone? The BU looked dumbfounded and he was standing right there beside 2B where he should be. WTF?

If she left early, the PU isn't "watching the ball come into the zone", by the very definition of the infraction.

Who would have a better view than the PU looking straight out at the pitcher to notice that a runner behind her left before the ball was released?

[Comp]

I did a solo junior high game the other day and called 2 girls out at first for leaving early. I had just dropped into the slot when out of the corner of my eye I noticed ALOT of movement over toward 1st base. I didnt call anything, but decided on next pitch I would pay a little more attention to 1st. The next pitch I dropped into the slot, saw movement at 1st and glanced over quickly to see the runner standing a good 3' off the bag and the pitcher still hadnt thrown the pitch. The batter ended up walking and did exactly the same thing and got her for it also.

[wadeintothem]

Yep, thats how I do it also. Same with being out of the box when hitting the ball.


Most decent pitchers just throw too fast for me to work my zone well, watch for a swing, watch a pitchers preliminaries and watch a runner at 2B - just like a slapper being out of the box.

Typically, there is a clue that catches your eye, so then you consciously watch for it.

If you set me up to where you have earned my extra attention... I'm probably gonna get ya...

[SnocatzDad]

i've had to adjust my baserunners to account for this in one umpire games. Some umps see any movement prior to release and will call leaving early so in those instances I tell the girls to lead off with back foot on the bag rather than a running lead with front foot on the bag so that they aren't called out for moving prior to release as opposed to actually losing contact with the bag prior to release.

[wadeintothem]

i've had to adjust my baserunners to account for this in one umpire games. Some umps see any movement prior to release and will call leaving early so in those instances I tell the girls to lead off with back foot on the bag rather than a running lead with front foot on the bag so that they aren't called out for moving prior to release as opposed to actually losing contact with the bag prior to release.

I'm not sure what level you are working, but sounds like fairly low level ball and perhaps low level umpires because movement before the release is very common; it could be your training though - You might pm iluvblue or artomatic and have them give you some tips on how to train runners. If you had some input from good aggressive runner coaches on how to do it, it might help you. Art's runners were fine and aggressive and Iluvblue is very good with his runners and every team I've ever worked of his has been extremely aggressive on the bases.

[SnocatzDad]

wade

95% of all games in MN are played with 1 umpire. Even in HS anything short of a Varsity game is handled most of the time by one umpire. Because of this you've got PU's trying to be BU's simultaneously. The worst thing about this is that the umpires work so few 2 umpire games that when they do some have no idea what the 2nd Umpire's responsibility is.

We're playing high level 14U games, every team in our league will attend nationals somewhere and some in our league already have national championships on thier resume. Even MN Irish 18U Gold who finished tied for 17th last year at 18U ASA Gold Nationals plays one umpire games when playing in MN.

The other problem we have is there is no central organization for Umpires. I beleive the MSHSL has rankings and seniority for umpires so when you get a big game you get the best umpires, for summer ball its a crap shoot and you might get a guy who only umps slow pitch and doesn't even know the rule diferences working an elite level game.

I don't hold the umpires responsible for all this, obviously the teams could choose to only play in tournaments that advertise 2 umpires for all games, but what happens is rather than fight that battle, the elite teams just play out of state half the time and accept that the quality of their in state tournaments is mediocre.

[wadeintothem]

Well..
Tell your runners dont move then...