R= Runner
B= Batter
F= Fielder
Question #1: R1 on first, less than two outs, B2 hits a line drive to F6 who allows the ball to strike his glove and then intentionally drops it so as to be able to double up the runners. Is this a legal play? What call should the umpire make, if any?
Had I been asked this question a couple of months ago I wouldn't have known the answer. After having read the rule book though nearly a half dozen times, studied the case book inside and out, read through the umpire's manual at nauseam, given this situation in a ball game I am confident that I could apply the correct rule and make the right call.
For the last few years I have had the itch to try my hand in high school umpiring. A real good friend of mine has been doing it for quite sometime, and with his consistent prodding I finally relented and this year decided to do it.
Most people have had a hard time understanding why I would want to do it. It's a thankless job. An umpire is constantly under the microscope and is open to criticism from the coaches, players and fans. I have a say in what the coaches and players can get away with but no control over the fans, and sometimes they can be ruthless. I've had to develop a thick skin.
So why do I do it? I love baseball. I love being around the game. I saw it as an opportunity to better learn the sport. I enjoy being in the middle of the game even if it is from an officiating position. So far it has been an enjoyable experience.
I enjoy the challenge of learning something new. There is a lot that goes into being a good umpire, from knowing the rules to knowing the mechanics that put you in the right place to make a call. When I watch baseball on tv, I find myself watching the umpires as much as I do the players. I keep track of how the umpire calls a watched strike compared to a swinging strike, how they punch someone out on a backwards K, or how the base ump sells his call on a close play. Just being an umpire for me is not enough, I want to be good at it as well. That's what I am working towards.
Question #2: With a fielder in a position to make a play, R2 is on first and R1 is touching second. R1 is hit by a batted ball by B3 while touching second. What is the call in this situation?