Keep Your Eye On The Ball, Part Two
Youth League Style

For the Rookie in All of Us!

by Richard B. Siegel

When do you glance away from the ball? You may have gotten the impression from Part I of "Keep Your Eye On The Ball," that you can never look away from the ball. I might have made you a nervous wreck, afraid to look anywhere else but directly at that white cowhide covered sphere. However, to properly officiate a baseball game, there are times when you have to look away. Remember the text in Part I? I wrote: "Devote 98% of your effort to following that pill... You do need to sneak a momentary peek at some other things once in a while." Here is the other 2%.

Baseball requires umpires to rule on numerous other events that occur in the game that are not always coincident with the location of the baseball. Some examples are:

• runners touching the base as they pass it
• obstructions fielders may cause to runners
• base coaches who might cause interference (i.e. pushing a runner back to the base)
• runners not retouching or leaving their base too soon on a fly ball
• malicious contacts between runners and fielders.

Two percent is not much of your time. If you are working the game alone, you can't possibly expect to see all these events every time they happen. Your primary responsibility, of course, is to KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL.

If a notable situation, like one of the events I listed above, occurs that you are unable to see because you are watching the ball, you cannot rule on it. You have to assume the proper, normal process happened when you haven't witnessed the action yourself.

Case: There is a runner at third base, one out. The batter lifts a high fly ball down the right field line. The right fielder, after a long run, leaps to his left to reach the ball. He seems to have made the catch, but falls in the process and rolls over before finally coming up cleanly with the ball still in his glove. As solo umpire, it is your responsibility it is to rule first, in this case, on fair/foul then catch/no-catch. You have to keep your attention on the right fielder until you are satisfied you can make a definite ruling. You must hold sight of the play because of its proximity to the foul line. If the ball might be dropped, and a fair or foul ruling might have to be made. However, as soon as the ball has been touched by the right fielder, the runner at third may begin his attempt to score. Rule 7.08 (d). The runner leaves third base and safely steps on home plate, just ahead of the throw.

Normally the plate umpire listens for the field umpire's cry of "catch!," "touch!" or "no-catch!" as he watches for the retouch, (tag up) of the base by the runner. A solo umpire would normally glance, briefly, away from the fielder about to catch a ball and acquire the runners' positions to judge the timing of the retouch. However, in this particular case, the plate umpire's attention was detained watching the ball for the potential call of the foul ball. By the time the plate umpire looked at the runner, in this case, it was impossible to judge the retouch. On an appeal, you would have to rule safe.

Do not feel bad or negligent in this case, especially if you are working alone. Your priority is the ball, which you have properly followed. You can't see everything. However, try to adjust your field positioning to allow you to steal a peak at those important situations as they occur.

In a two-man system, the plate umpire must plan to back up the field umpire and attempt to witness all those special, "away from the ball," incidents that might require a ruling. When the batter hits the ball, the field umpire will generally make the call on the first play on the bases. If there are other runners on base, the plate umpire should glance at them and try to keep their actions in his peripheral vision while the ball is going elsewhere. He should not focus in on any one runner. Rather, he should "jump" his eyes back and forth from the ball to the other runners. The ball may unexpectedly come to the plate for a play on a scoring runner, or go out of play near home plate. He must have a continual awareness of the position of the ball to properly be ready to divert his attention back to the ball if required.

A typical youth league trick that often escapes the umpire's eyes, happens on a ground ball to the left side of the infield, with one runner at second base. It occurs when the third baseman throws the ball to first to get the batter-runner, and the runner at second tries to advance to third on the throw. Discreetly, the shortstop positions himself directly in the runner's basepath to force him to slow down and go around him, using an extra step or two. A plate umpire should be glancing over at that runner, while the field umpire is following the ball to first base. The plate man can then catch the shortstop's antics and holler, "That's obstruction!" and impose a penalty if the runner gets tagged out going into third.

Keep coaches in the dugout until all play has stopped. Youth League coaches, all of whom are Tommy LaSorda wanna-bees, often think that they can just stride out onto the field and talk to their pitchers or "discuss" a play with the umpire any time, at will. On TV, they saw Tommy just walk right on out to the mound or charge out to the umpire without asking for time. Rule 5.10 (d). Many youth league coaches think they can do the same thing. First of all, Tommy usually did ask for time, it just wasn't shown or heard on the TV camera. Furthermore, there are many traditional and customary understandings among professional Major League managers and umpires that allows the manager only to come out onto the field at various times without verbally asking for time.

In youth league baseball, most managers don't know when these permissible times are, so they must be controlled by the umpire. During every pre-game discussion of the ground rules at home plate, remind each manager that he must first ask for time from the threshold of the dugout before coming out onto the field. Be very precise about this. You don't want coaches running out to the mound, then turning to you in an afterthought and say, "Oh, by the way... Time, Blue?"

Tell him to wait. Develop the following reflex as your standard response to a manager who comes out onto the field asking for time to visit his pitcher or "review" a play with you: "Wait!" For instance, Coach Doug emerges from the dugout. He shouts, "Time, Blue!" and keeps on walking, a la Tommy LaSorda, toward the mound. Immediately, without diverting your eyes from the field and the action, thrust out your arm, like a traffic cop using the standard open handed stop gesture. Interrupt him and order him to, "WAIT, Coach!" Keep your hand up facing him until you are convinced the action has stopped and there is no further probability of a play. Holler, "Time!" with your arms thrust upright. Now you are ready to speak to the coach. Make sure you communicate to him your displeasure at his attempt to enter onto the field without permission. "Coach, don't step out of the dugout until you have asked for time, and I have given it you! "

Don't give a coach time until you're ready. Two dangerous things can happen that can harm the quality of the game and cast doubt on your competence when you are too quick and too gracious to coaches asking for time. The most common reason a defensive manager asks for time is to confer with his pitcher. Usually this happens after the pitcher has walked the nth batter. Coach Doug has lost his patience with Pauly, the pitcher, and wants to get him off the mound fast.

His impatience is evident as Coach Doug starts heading for the mound even as ball four enters the catcher's mitt. Unchecked, Coach Doug would be at the foul line before the batter-runner takes three steps toward first base. He is on the field while the ball is live! Additionally, the pitch may have been wild. This is a perfect time for a stolen extra base by the batter-runner or other runners already on base. But blind to this possibility, or because of this possibility, Coach Doug "LaSorda" barks "Time, Blue!" and briskly marches toward his pitcher.

If you sense his distress, back-off and accommodate him by calling time just to placate him, you will have scuttled the possibility of some potentially great baseball. When you call "time" while there is still the possibility of further action, you are in violation of the rules. Rule 5.10 (h). This could lead to a successful protest, especially if a critical run was snuffed out. Often a successful umpire must restrain his natural human instinct to be amiable.

When Coach Doug "LaSorda" barks "Time, Blue!" and briskly marches onto the field, freeze him. Holler, "Wait! Stay right there, Coach!" Check the runners. When you are satisfied that the runners seem to be staying put, you can call time. "OK, Coach, you have to wait for play to stop before you can ask for time." "Go ahead," you allow. Coaches who repeatedly disregard the requirement of asking for time before entering the field, should be sent to the parking lot early.

So you wait for the play to end and you call "time." Now Coach Keith storms down from his coach's box near third base. "Blue, why did you call time? We were just about to attempt a delayed steal of home!" he snarls. He is technically right in his objection but, wrong in his execution. When you held off Coach Doug and checked the runners, you watched until you were satisfied that the runners were no longer trying to advance or draw a throw. If they were dancing off their bases, teasing the pitcher to try and pick them off, you would not yet have called time. However, they were rather nonchalant, just standing motionless on their bases. If Coach Doug wants to visit the pitcher, you eventually must give him time to do it. How long can you wait? Explain to Coach Keith, "You guys just delayed too long! I was satisfied that no more action was going to take place. I've got to give the other coach 'time' sooner or later!" Rule 5.10 (d).

The other dangerous thing that can harm the quality of the game when you are too quick to grant time to a coach is the eruption of a disagreement. You may not believe this, but eventually a coach is going to find fault with one of your calls. At the initial appearance of the coach in your face, tell him to wait. Actually, the advice here, is identical to the techniques you should use when the coach comes out to visit the pitcher. Similar to that situation, the coach is impatient and upset. He thoughtlessly races onto the field, to grab your ear to plead his point of view. So just as before, order him to "WAIT!" Keep your attention on the game, your eyes on the ball. Let the play come to its natural conclusion. When you are satisfied no more action will result, grant the coach an audience with you.

See runners touch their bases. As a solo umpire, you can position yourself in the middle of diamond when the batter hits the ball out of the infield and no other runners are on base. If the batter decides to go for a double or a triple, the ball is probably still rolling around somewhere deep in the outfield as he is passing first base. It is vital that you time his movements and steal a glance over to first base as he is passing the bag. It is very common in youth league for Billy to be so exhilarated by his first extra-base hit of the year, that he cuts off first base by three feet in his eagerness to make second base. Youth league dugouts are very close to the field. If the defensive team is sitting on the first base side, you can be sure you're going to get an appeal.

Similarly, if there are runners already on base when the batter hits the ball anywhere, you must never go onto the diamond. You have to fade back about 8 to 10 feet into foul territory on the first base side, about 15 feet up the line. This position gives a solo umpire a panoramic view of all four bases. It's not the best place to make a call at second or third, but at least you'll see the play. The importance of this position is magnified when there is a two out time-play. A runner is coming home while a tag play is happening out on the bases. You are in the best position to keep both the runner arriving at home plate, and the tag play in view to accurately rule if the run scores.

The final bit of advice is: go to the glove: A fundamental concept all umpires learn their first day in any class is, "Never make a call while moving." The logic is: if you are moving, then your eyes are moving. Moving eyes may cause you to miss the play. Similarly, if you're following a fly ball all the way into a fielder's glove, even if you're standing still, your eyes are going to be moving with the ball. This movement could make the difference on a trapped ball or a bobble. One you determine the flight path of a ball, and you're convinced that no other fielder can get to it, take you're eyes off the ball and go to the glove.

For example, upon seeing a high fly ball to the outfield, convinced that nothing will divert the ball, shift your focus to the outfielder's glove who will make the play. Follow his glove and there will be far less eye movement, and much more reliability in your call. In another example, the left fielder is about to release a throw to the plate to get a runner attempting to score. Follow the ball until it has passed the last possible fielder who might cut it off. Then go to the catcher's mitt. Getting your eye to the plate ahead of the ball gives you an extra moment to take in the whole play as it develops before you.