Teachable - MiLB Runner Fails to Touch Home During HR, Umpire Calls Out on Appeal

This Tmac's Teachable Moment follows minor league umpire Steven Jaschinski out call, on appeal, for a Fayetteville Woodpeckers batter-runner's failure to touch home plate during a home run trot. Article: https://www.closecallsports.com/2019/...

For everything that goes wrong for the home team on this play, the HP Umpire does many things right. First, he stays engaged with his primary responsibility on this play after the ball leaves the playing field in flight: he watches home plate to see if the runner has legally touched it.

After he observes that the runner has failed to touch home plate, Jaschinski keeps a poker face and walks behind the Down East Wood Ducks catcher to prepare for the next batter so as not to give either team a heads up as to what he has witnessed.

Remember, when it comes to base touch appeals, umpires should not give any indication (either way). It's up to the defense to appeal or the offense to correct a baserunning infraction prior to the limits imposed by rule (e.g., before getting to the dugout or a dead ball becoming live, etc.).

Next, umpire Jashinski puts the ball in play when the pitcher with the ball is in contact with the rubber. He observes pitcher Sal Mendez properly disengage the rubber and throw to home plate (remember, if the pitcher tries to throw home while still on the pitcher's plate, it's a legal pitch and the opportunity to appeal will be lost) and emphatically rules the runner out when catcher Sam Huff steps on home plate (due to the rarity of this play, it's fine to sell the call).

He explains his ruling to the offensive team's manager and for good measure signals up to the press box that the run shall not count.