Last weekend, we had a situation where an outfielder made a play on the ball, he dropped it but possibly he dropped it on the transfer. Honestly, call could have gone either way, it wasn't an OBVIOUS catch and drop while transferring to throw. Umpire calls the batter safe, dropped ball. Defensive team protests, it was on the transfer, etc. Umpire calls timeout, walks out to right center field, asks the guy if he caught it (he of course says yes, he did) and she CHANGES HER CALL. The other team protests and she claims she believes he is honest and told ger the truth. I have never seen that before. I cannot imagine that is by the book? Any umps out there correct me if I am wrong.

I have seen this now and then in league which is not a big deal. Kinda funny. I have never seen it done in a tourney though and would suspect I never will.

...and this probably isn't the time to make the observation about a woman umpire changing her mind ... Nope, didn't think so! ...

^^^haha^^^

DD.. that is no way to talk about DM or NA :)

Did the outfielder demonstrate possession of the ball on the catch? Aka: Complete the process
Never heard of an umpire asking a fielder if they caught the ball and then changing their call based on their response. That should never happen.
I presume the ump in your game was doing a one man. It can be tough to see certain plays in a one man but umps have to do the best they can using their judgement and make the call as they see it.
Unfortunately they get it wrong sometimes and they just have to eat it.

Stick, IDK about the catch. It could have gone either way.
She said after the fact, "I believe him". Well, I believe that strike 3 call against me was 15 feet high!

LOL. I know what you mean Double Dee. Pandora’s box is opening up!!

As an umpire, I do not ask players what they saw. If there is another umpire or two on the field, I may ask them what they saw. Ultimately, it is an umpire's judgement call. It cannot be protested or appealed.

I will say that last year in the world championships at Las Vegas my team was playing Hartford for the championship. I hit a long fly to deep left Center and the ball bounced over the fence for what would be a ground rule double. The Umpire signaled a home run and I was out. Of course I told the Umpire that that was an incorrect call and that the balls that are hit over the fence at this particular field disappear because they go off a cliff. I told him that the fact that we saw the ball bounce is proof that it stayed in the park and was a ground rule double. He wasn't having it. Both outfielders from Hartford came in and told the Umpire that it was not a home run and that it did in fact bounce over the fence. The Umpire changed the call to a ground rule double. I think in those situations the Umpire agreeing to make the correct call based on the integrity and honesty of the Fielding team is acceptable. They basically allowed us to take a one-run lead going into the last inning. But the situation that Double D is describing should not be accepted.

Tako88 not trying to put you on the spot but what reason is it that you would consider DD’s situation unacceptable but your situation acceptable?

Stick8,

Pretty obvious why he feels they are different scenarios.
In the original post the player was asked if he caught the ball after ruling it wasn't a catch and the players answers worked in the players favor.
In Tako88 scenario the team when asked for an answer the real answer didn't work in their favor and worked against them but they still told the truth when it wasn't going to work in their favor.

JohnO28,
Ok but in both scenarios you have players making rulings. Whether the players were correct or not, or if the call they make goes against them, imho, is really not the issue.
Being sporting, honest and acting honorably is very nice and all well and good but where does that leave the umpire? Suppose a player takes a called third strike and argues the pitch was too high? The pitcher and catcher say it was too high. Should the umpire change the call?
By doing that and the other scenarios on this thread you’re opening up Pandora’s box. Umpires doing a one man should never ever change their call. In a two man players can always ask the ump for help from his/her partner.

Stick,

While I agree with most of what you're saying the argument your using for an example is a bad choice. But it all goes back to it's a 1 man umpire who can't see anything I've seen many instances over the years where an umpire can't tell if a long fly ball went over the fence on a fly or if it bounced over. A few years ago in Vegas last in the day on Saturday we had a ball bounce over the fence for a ground rule double but the umpire couldn't tell that it bounced and all he saw was it on the other rolling on the other side of the fence and called it a HR. Which at the time we were out of them so not only was it an out but it also ended the inning and game on what should have been the game ending bases loaded single(but since it bounced over should have been ruled a ground rule double) in the gap which would have scored all 3 runs.

We argued that it bounced over and the other team stayed quiet and the ump said I didn't see it bounce. Afterwards the told the umped it bounced over and he told them had they been honest and said that he would have changed his call because he can't see everything and he would have had more respect for them as players and as a team. They laughed and said who cares we won because you blew the call.

There should be 2 umpires on every field for every game with the amount of money we pay to play in these tourneys. But at the end of the day balls/strikes have always been considered a judgement call and a non arguable things..

JohnO28,
Ok, Going back to the Tako88 scenario it sounds like that game had only one umpire. And this was the finals of a world tournament! That should never happen.
As one who wears both a players hat and umpire hat, umpires should never ask players what they saw on a play. The umpires job is to call the game. Yes there will be tough plays to call but he/ she should use their best judgement.
Any umpire who allows players to coerce them into changing a call or making a call does not belong umpiring.