Warning: These are my personal opinions placed here for discussion and debate. They may fly in the face of "traditional wisdom." In fact, reading this article may cause you to question why you have been doing things one way for years but as every umpire knows, sometimes, in baseball, it is easier to hold to traditions than try to turn the wheels. Don't jump into this discussion without careful preparation, diligence and thought.
Joel Balberman is one of many who took the time to write a detailed response to this article. I have entitled his response "Why I Like Position 'C'" and appended it here for your reading and consideration as well.
Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance was the famous double play combination of the 1906 Chicago "Hitless Wonders" Cubs: shortstop Joe Tinker, who for two years refused to talk to second baseman, Johnny Evers, over to "The Peerless Leader" Frank Chance. In 1906 the Cubs managed a batting average of .230 with only 7 home runs.
Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance
or "Why I Hate Position 'C'"
by Brent McLaren
Has the time come to visit the mechanics we use on the 60' diamond? Are there systems that can enhance the umpire's coverage will further minimizing the risk of being caught out of position for a call?I first advanced my concerns about traditional coverage on the 60' diamond several years ago and was greeted with rumblings of discontent. Since then when I raised the problems at several clinic bear pit sessions disgruntled groans of "we have never done it that way" or simply "you can't do that" showed that no one was prepared to enter into the discussion. Now to my surprise the December 1997 issue of Referee magazine contains an article by Jay Milner entitled Base Insight, Optional Base Mechanics who presents the results of a discussion between Merle Butler (ASA) and himself on the problems of the position 'C'. Given that reinforcement I feel comfortable in posting this article for your consideration.
Think about this ...
Consider this normal game situation on the small diamond: Runners on first and second. Position 'C', out beyond second base, feeling closer to the fence than the plate is the umpire's only option. Here it comes "Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance" and there we go. Moving forward I try to find an angle to observe the play at second, aware that the ball and shortstop are converging in my direction and so is the runner and second baseman. A solid toss and close play but I am certain I was correct. The throw over to first? The plate umpire, who followed the batter up the line is over 50 feet closer to the play than me, but it still is my call. "Bang, bang" but from my position nearly 80 feet away, looking through two fielders, a pitcher and a runner it was .... "Did she pull her foot?" I point and shout. "No" ... "Out!", selling to the best of my ability.Despite years of disciplined movement, despite practicing coming in and pivoting over and over until it was seamless, the call is always greeted by the boo-birds along with the usual "Hey, Blue! you must have good eyesight" etc. etc. etc. I know I am not in the best position to make the calls. I know that I am calling plays at first base from a field position and angle that increase my chance of making a mistake. More than this I realize that most of the time I am in line of play. Looking to my left, the standard position 'B' seemed like just a touch better.
Minimizing the Chance for Error
The major premise of the two umpire system is to minimize the chance for error, in other words, to place an umpire in the best possible position to make the correct call. Inherent within this system is the understanding that angle is more important than distance in observing a play. Also part of the system is the philosophy that not every play can be covered perfectly. There then are two general approaches to base coverage, the "inside=outside / outside=inside" growp and the "always work your way inside" group.Let's examine a real world common occurrence: Runner at second (R2) the batter tops a bounding ball to the shortstop (F6). In this scenario F6 will field the ball, look R2 back and then throw to first base (F3) for the force out. R2 will immediately break from second. In the rush to get R2 at third F3 will pull his foot from the bag early. F3 with throw across the diamond to third base (F5) for a close sliding play.
Option 1: With the umpire in standard position 'C', and subscribing to the 'inside=outside' philosophy here is the play: The ball is headed towards the umpire who recognizing a play may occur at second slides slightly to his right to attain an angle. No play, but the umpire is partially blocked on the relay to first by the shortstop. He has a minimal angle on the play and does manage to catch the foot being pulled, however, being nearly 90' from the base it is a very gray observation, the umpire will call the out based on the ball beating the runner "to the bag." As R2 moves to third the umpire must move quickly parallel to or even away from the baseline. Thirty feet from the play, while moving, he will be blocked by the runner in seeing the base and the tag and the call is a toss up.
Option 2: The umpire in standard position 'C' is attempting to work to the inside. Here is the play: The umpire begins to move into the diamond however his path is blocked by F6 and the fact that the ball is coming directly at him. He hears F4 approaching and sees the R2 leaving the bag. Unable to get into the diamond because of the fielders he is none the less in a perfect position to observe a tag play, interference or obstruction. The throw over to F3 was rushed and again R2's movement had to be worked around, the umpire, over 72 feet from first base, failed to notice that F3 had pulled his foot in order to rush the throw across the diamond as he had little or no angle on the play and two fielders to contend with. With great hustle the umpire manages to almost make it to the infield grass before having to decide on the call at third base. Again, he is standing almost in a direct line with the runner and has only a limited angle to accurately see the bag.
Option 3: With the umpire starting in non-standard position B here is the same play. On the hit the umpire moves to B1. Since F4 is in front of him it is easy to let F4 pass before setting to observe a tag, obstruction or interference situation on R2. As F6 throws across the diamond the umpire first steps with his right foot then pivots to "open the gate" to first base. Setting at B1, about 46 feet away, he can clearly see F3's foot in relation to the bag and signals "Safe, off the bag." Taking a few steps towards the third base side of the pitching mound the base umpire will set and have a clear view of both F5 and the runner. From his angle he will make the correct call having observed the foot contacting the bag before the glove made contact with the runner's leg.
Let's take the same play but have the ball hit to the second baseman. From position 'C' the umpire will again deal both with the shortstop and the runner at second. He must be careful to avoid ending up in the middle of the action if he attempts to "come inside." Working position 'B' the umpire has the second baseman in front of him. The umpire will delay a second so as not to enter into a possible play at second but from that moment on the coverage progresses normally.
Position 'B' May Be Better Choice
Anytime there are two outs, and runners on base, what is the coach telling his players? "Take the out at first, take the out at first!!!" Why are we standing out in left field. Move to position B and be ready for the out at first!Anytime the bases are loaded, why are we standing out in deep left field, usually in the direct path of the ball and play? Move to position B, keep the second baseman in your peripheral view, be ready for the out at first, second or third! Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance has never been so easy to call.
With a runner on second working B1 meant taking a few brisk steps towards the mound and gaining a clear view of the ball, the glove and the runner if an attempt was made to steal third. On any developing play it was very straightforward to step in far enough to gain an angle and view the play. Working from 'C' always meant coming on the run while trying not to get fooled by a young fielder whose baseball logic is questionable at best.
Playing It Short
B1 is the most difficult position to work from. It is often viewed as a transitory position but in reality with runners on second and third it can become solid place from which to view the subsequent actions. What will a coach do in this situation, with less than two outs? He will instruct his players to look the runners back then take the out at first. To minimize your chance at error you should be in a position to follow that play and B1 just happens to be the best one on the field.Play: R2 & R3 with a bounding ball to F6: with the umpire in position 'C' we have mass confusion. Take the same umpire and move to B1, a simple step / set and any play can be observed.
Same play but the bounding ball goes to F4: take two steps towards the mound and follow the ball around the diamond.
Coming Inside
They will tell you "Never, never, no way ..." until you consider this example: R3, two out. Where is your best position? It is certainly not position 'C'. Position 'B' affords a prefect view of any play at the most likely play at first, but can we improve our positioning with regards to third base? Consider coming inside the diamond to B2, a position just on the infield grass. As the umpire you will have a clear view of third base and be in the perfect situation to take the close play at first if it should arise. From this position, setting square to the plate, you can easily see a leadoff violation at first or third base.While reading this recommendation in the December 1997 issue of Referee magazine my first reaction was "I'm in too close" but then I carefully reconsidered the distance. On the large diamond my standard 'B' position places me about 90 feet from the plate. When I move to the intermediate diamond this distance shrinks to approximately 72 feet. My 'B2' position on the small diamond would be approximately 78 feet from the plate. I have no problems on the intermediate diamond, why would I with the 60' diamond? The argument "you'll get hit and that will kill the play" dissipated. In five years, with hundreds of games, I have seen only one umpire hit by the ball, and that was on the large diamond.
What about runners on the corners??? R1 and R3 ... has to be position 'C' right? Again, coming inside the diamond to B2 makes perfect sense. As you do your hands-on-knees set, squared to the plate, you will observe that you have clear view of R1 and R3 should either leave early. You will discover that the mechanic for taking the catcher's throw to second is identical to the larger diamond: shoulders square to the ball, open the gate and follow the ball to the glove and to the tag.
If the ball is cut off and an attempt is made at R3 you don't end up with a neck injury. Follow the cut off ball, maybe taking a step or two towards the developing play.
What about a runner on first only? Having worked many games on intermediate sized diamonds I was aware that I could work inside, see the base runner, and have an easy time of it on the steal or hit. I also knew that I would be a big target on the smaller diamond but hey, what the heck. Handling steal plays was a breeze. It was easy to sense the runner leaving earlier and even easier to follow the ball into the glove and play. Working B2 is a touch claustrophobic compared to the 90' diamond, but no the less it was a significantly better position than working outside.
And on pop-ups, nothing stops you from going out and having the plate umpire cover the bases accordingly.
The Myths Implode
A careful analysis reveals that only with runners on 1st and 2nd is position 'C' the preferable position, and maybe even that is not the case if two are out. The best part about the mechanics of the large diamond, seeing the ball into the glove and through to the tag, becomes part of the small diamond mechanics.Working close to diamond, or inside the diamond is not perfect. You will have to be quick and unobtrusive. You must be prepared to step back away from plays and pathways. You must be prepared to work your way to the mound if needed as your best line of vision. You will also find your movements are less frantic and you have significantly better angle / distance relationships to the plays and even time to set and observe the play.
Since the majority of base umpire error occurs not from being out of position but from being in a terrible position to start with, and since most of that occurs when working position 'C' perhaps it is better to reconsider the cherished traditions in favor of common baseball sense.
Now if the team has nothing but left-handed hitters then ....
.... originally written April 22, 1997
.... significantly edited and posted January 4, 1998
Milner, Jay. "Base Insight, Optional Base Mechanics" in Referee
- "inside-outside"
- an coverage method that refers to the base umpire remaining outside of the base paths if the ball is hit inside the diamond - or - moving inside on to the infield of the diamond if the ball is a clean hit to the outfield.
- small diamond
- A 60' diamond, standard in softball or youth baseball
- intermediate diamond
- A 75' dismond, usually with a 50' pitching distance. On this diamond the base umpire uses traditional large diamond coverage patterns.
- large diamond
- A professional size diamond with 90' basepaths.
- "open the gate"
- the umpire's shoulders remain perpendicular to the ball at all times. As the ball moves through the air the umpire turns his shoulders to follow the path of the ball to the glove thus "opening the gate"
- playing short
- playing "short" anything means moving closer to the infield from an outfield coverage pattern. For example: with a runner behing held at first many professional umpires close their usual distance to about 12 feet and move a step away from the foul line in order to get a better view of the pitcher, runner and defensive player. Short second is an outfield position about 6 feet towards first base and about 6 feet back of the baseline. Regular second is about 12 feet back and about 8 feet to the first base side of the base.
Tinker-to-Evers-to-Chance
or "Why I Like Position 'C'"
by Joel Balberman
Brent:First of all, good job of writing - well reasoned and presented arguments. I empathize with your concern that we as umpires are not always the most flexible in our thinking. Mechanics tend to have a great deal of inertia.
All systems, whether 2 or 3-umpire are compromises and a concession to economic reality to some extent, because you cannot cover every eventuality out there, and the cost factor is a real concern in deciding what system will be employed. (I know that in some cases, some associations will even work the 3-umpire system for 2 umpire money in order to try to provide a higher quality of service to the teams.)
To begin, one question is where exactly do you play when at position C? We teach that "the umpire is always right", just a little expression that tells people where they should be and is easy to remember. It means that when looking out from home plate at positions A,B or C, we should be to the right of the fielder. In the case of position C, this means to the right of the shortstop. Further, as a rule of thumb, we say to be about 2 to 3 steps to the rear of and one step to the left of the shortstop's left rear pocket (in this case left means the umpire's left). We seldom stray to the other side of the shortstop, although in some overshifted infields, it becomes a must.
I agree that a pulled foot at first base is a difficult play to see from position C, but that is where teamwork comes in. A quick glance at your partner before making the call may be needed to get an indication of what happened. Hopefully, the plate umpire will have the awareness to flash an out or safe or some other subtle signal. This is not likely to happen with a lesser experienced umpire. The base umpire may have to make the call based on what he saw. This now brings up the whole issue again of changing calls to make them correct, and I have already let you know what I feel about those types of situations. This play could easily conclude with a conference between umpires and the base man changing the call from out to safe.
With regards to the play that goes to 1st and then back over to 3rd, we use a diferent mechanic. I highly recommend you give some thought to this. On any situation where there is a second play in the infield, the plate umpire makes the call. Most often, it will happen in just this situation, but I have seen the second play happen at 1st base a few times also. Please do not confuse this with a double play. It is not the same thing. The base umpire must make the call at both ends of a double play. There is just no way in fairness that the base umpire can get both of these calls without raising a significant risk of the second call being incorrect. The plate umpire coming down the line has a perfect position and angle available to make this call.
This mechanic works and provides superior coverage in this play situation.
Your idea of starting at position B with R2, just places the base umpire too far away from the play at 3rd to give him any credibility whatsoever in making the call, in my opinion.
Coming inside to B2 scares me. I want to be wearing my cup out there. I'm not saying it could never be done. Indeed, in working baseball many years ago, we used this a lot with R1, but we did not have leadoffs to contend with, and it put us in a perfect position on the throw on a steal of second. In fastpitch, you have no credibility on leadoff calls from inside the diamond. In baseball, little risk arises from being at B2 on the 90' diamond, and as basepath length diminishes so does the age and skill of the players, so stand a decent chance of getting out of the road of a batted ball. In working men's fastpitch, you would have to have a death wish to put yourself at B2. You would also give scapegoating players an easy excuse to blame you for missing the leadoff call.
We have in the past experimented with a position equivalent to B2, but on the shortstop side when working the 3-umpire system and R1. I for one liked it for the same reason that I liked B2 when doing baseball with a steal situation, but it was scrapped after a couple of years.
Brent, don't stop challenging us to think and dialogue. The exercise is worthwhile. I guess to summarize, I am no visionary in this discussion, and for the most part, fall into the same category of those who told you before that you can't do that. But as I stated at the outset, so much of this is just that we have to do the best that we can do with the resources we have.
With 2 umpires, we will always be giving up something. Even your last sentence in the article shows that you display an understanding of this, because there will always be exceptions to every situation.
Thanks for bearing with me on this as I rambled on.
Joel Balberman
Wednesday, January 7, 1998
"A person can succeed at almost anything for which they have unlimited enthusiasm."
Joel Balberman lives in Brantford, Ontario. For more information on him [Click Here].
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