We just want to get the call right

There aren’t many statements that get me more worked up then the title of this post.  It’s a common one that umpires love to use as a cure-all way of getting a coach off their back.  Here’s an example you often see.  A play at first where the throw takes the first baseman off the bag who then tries to make a sweep tag on the batter/runner going by.  The

first base ump calls him out on the tag.  The offensive team’s coach protests and gets the ump to ask the home plate ump for help.  After conferencing, the call is changed and the runner is now safe. 

In the major leagues, this call (or any reversal of a call) pretty much means an automatic ejection of the other coach.  He will come out screaming bloody murder and will ultimately get ejected.  I feel his pain every time.

At some point, an ump will say “Coach, we’re just trying to get the call right.”  On the surface this always seems legitimate.  I mean, who would want the umps to get a call wrong?  Nobody.

I’ve never been thrown out of a game so when this has occurred, I’ve been able to keep my cool.  However, I usually had a number of chances to bring up that same line myself later in those same games. 

Let’s use an example and see the typical dialogue that might ensue.

A runner on the other team steals second and is called safe on a close play.  I go out to talk to the base ump.  We’ll call him “Jim.”

Me: Hey Jim, that runner looked very out from where I was sitting.

Jim:  No coach, he was safe.

Me: Are you sure because everyone on the field except you thought he was out.

Jim:  Nope.  He got in there.

Me:  Can you ask for help from the home plate ump?

Jim: No, I made the call.  He’s safe.

Me:  I know you made the call but last inning you made the OUT call on the play at first and then you asked for help.  As I recall, you were wrong and were overruled.

Jim:  I got this call right.

Me:  How do you know?  You thought that the last time and were wrong.  Why can’t you ask for help?  You guys helped each other last time for their coach.  But not for me?

Jim:  He’s safe coach.

Me:  I thought you guys just want to “get the call right.”  I thought that was always the priority?  That’s what you told me last inning.  Don’t you want to make sure you get this one right too?  How do you know for sure you two got this call right if you don’t talk it over.  Like the play last inning, maybe he saw something you didn’t.

Jim:  I’m not asking for help Coach.  I don’t need it.

Me:  Tell me why their coach asks for help and gets it and I don’t.  Are you not interested in getting every call right?

 

You probably get the point.  If the umpires truly wanted to get every call right they would meet together after every play.  They obviously can’t. 

Major League managers will not waste time going through the above conversation.  They will just flip out immediately which always results in a quick ejection on any reversed call.  As a high school coach, “flipping out” is not something I’d do.  But I would bring it up later to let the umps know the “we just want to get the call right” line doesn’t always cut it.