There is every chance in the rules and mechanics to get things right. And I am not saying that every umpire understands this or follows this or is educated on this or isn't stubborn or whatever - I am just saying this is how it is meant to work. As I said in another thread - I did my first travel game after a one hour clinic but have dedicated myself to getting better. Some umpires may be out there on just that clinic or are just not all that interested or have the time or the resources to go beyond that.
I think these situations are a great time to also teach coaches how it works, because I have witnessed first hand, the coach is trying to do it the right way, but simply does not understand the protocol. they are not trained umpires, they are coaches. I have seen some very good umpires work with the coaches to get them to ask the right question.
No you were clear. The conversation moved on.... Ok, lets do this, I will go through your whole thing as I would do an umpires asessment:
- FU: Call of no tag, runner safe. (good, FU call to make)
- Coach comes out and calmly says he believes he saw a tag that the FU couldn't see, can he please see if the other official saw it (good)
- FU: says he wont because it is a judgment call (incorrect, this is not a judgment call)
- Correct procedure is that umpire assesses whether they clearly saw there wasn't a tag or that they could have been blocked/missed it/etc.
- If FU is 100% certain they CLEARLY saw no tag, they say "I clearly saw that she did not apply the tag" and confirm the call. There is no need to confer as FU believes they have all the information necessary. You should not go confer just for show.
- If FU is uncertain and believes their partner may have more information, then they should go confer. After conferring with their partner they make their final decision.
- PU: The Plate Umpire coming up to you after the game and saying his partner got it wrong (highly inappropriate) Throwing your partner under the bus is garbage. If the Field Umpire wanted to come up and say he got it wrong fine - that is their decision to do so or not.
my take, PU was not throwing his partner under the bus, FU was a jerk, and gets away with it because he is in position of authority. This is the problem, too many umpires out there (not all certainly) think that anyone questioning them is absolutely in the wrong no matter what, I am GOD, I am right, I could not possibly be wrong or have missed something, so you asking me to ask for help is tantamount to questioning my authority, go sit down, correct does not matter, upholding my authority is the end all be all. this game is about me.
Or you can take 3 seconds to ask you partner and get it right.
not saying coaches should argue or make a scene, plenty of idiotic coaches out there as well. but too many Umps have delustions of infallibility, and no one is infallible.