College Ejection - Brian DeBrauwere's Intentional HBP

HP Umpire Brian DeBrauwere ejected Gonzaga pitcher Ty Buckner for intentionally throwing at Tennessee batter Blake Burke after the former yelled at Buckner about an alleged quick pitch during the 3rd inning at-bat. Even more interesting, Brian had joined CCS years earlier to discuss game management about pitch cadence disputes between batter and pitcher, and how taking steps to slow things down—by calling "Time" or working with the catcher—could also diffuse potential problems.

Coincidentally, guess what game management tools NCAA and MLB's new-ish pitch clock eliminated?

Call of the Month - April 2022

For April 2022's Call of the Month, tmac visits the SEC to follow 2B Umpire Brian deBrauwere as an Ole Miss baserunner attempts to tag up and advance to second base on a caught fly ball to right-center field vs South Carolina.

Regardless of ruleset, the general principles of foundational umpiring—hustling with a purpose to attain an angle with which to see the play—still apply and this video analysis emphasizes the umpire's game and situational awareness by observing the Ole Miss runner going back to tag at first base on a fly ball to the outfield, and then anticipating and reacting to the expected play at second base, moving into a position that affords the best look at the keyhole or action area in which the fielder will attempt to tag the runner and the runner will attempt to slide into the base.

Video as follows:

Plate Meeting Teachable with Brian & Jeff (Part 1)

In Thursday's premiere of our Plate Meeting Teachable series, umpires Brian deBrauwere and Jeff Gosney join Tmac and Gil for video analysis from an officiating perspective. The debut at 6pm Eastern Time discusses timing, positioning, game management, and umpiring technique.

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To view this episode, click here or watch below: