Miscellaneous - Articles

An Open Letter to my Partner

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:35:52 +0000

Writer's Note: My partner has been doing baseball since 1985 following in his Dad's footsteps. He's got a heart as big as California and wants to do this as good as anyone in the business. He's just got some idiotsyncracies (yes, I spelled it that way).

Dear Partner,

I love working with you when you’re on your game. Your knowledge of the rules are 2nd to none. You ask very good questions when we’re on the way to the game. It’s a great way one’s head on straight for the game rather than get aggravated over traffic. More importantly, discussing past situations we’ve done and better ways to handle them is an excellent way to improve our game. We do strive to be the best. How many games have we done so far in 3 seasons? 250? 300?

However, there are some things I'd like to point out in our crew (2 man) relationship that need improvement.

First, don’t yell about “hating to be late” when you show up 15 minutes late at my place for starters. Be happy that I know my way around the county and we can make up the time so that we're not late. Remember the games where you’ve shown up 30 minutes late? Also, let’s try to get to the field at least 15 minutes before game time. I'd be thrilled if we could make it 30 but I'll settle. It allows us to take our time getting dressed and get our game heads on straight. That’s one way we don’t have to break into your car to get your keys…..for the 3rd time. If I recall, it cost you a few game fees to get the window replaced on the passenger side when you broke it trying to get to your keys. If you had been patient, the police would have helped without breaking the window. Even better, you wouldn't have locked them in the car in the first place had you been taking your time.

However, there are things we need to address that will put us further on top of our “A” game.

I would appreciate you parking away from the spectators and the field so we can dress without being watched. Dropping your pants to the ground and inserting your cup in your jock in full view of the mom’s is not very gentlemanly. I can understand that you want to drop your pants to put on your shin guards but do it behind the car door as well. You may think the MILFs like it but the faces I've seen indicate otherwise.

Speaking of pants down, we all have to relieve ourselves after a long car ride but please do it privately. I don’t think people appreciate your peeing on your tire.

As far as uniforms, wearing a dark blue cotton tee shirt under your armor is part of the uniform. You seem to comply with that more often than not. Maybe too much. However, I’d appreciate it if you’d wash the shirt before wearing it. The sweat stains are bad enough but the odor is not appreciated. I’m sure your catcher would appreciate clean undergarments.

Oh, speaking of old, I believe that you need to replace that 10 year old American Legion hat. It’s starting to look more white than black.

Please feel free to borrow my liquid black polish to shine up your shoes whenever you’d like. It’s free and it makes you look professional.

One last note prior to our games, please don’t get dressed behind the backstop anymore. I personally like to arrive on the field fully dressed. I’m sure the moms and girlfriends don’t appreciate it either. Nobody wants to see your fat a**.

Prior to the game, let’s stay together. I know you love baseball and want to talk with the players and coaches but when you talk at length with one team the other team might get the idea that you play favorites. I know you don’t but they don’t know that. Speaking of talking with the players and coaches, it’s not a good idea to name drop. You do not need to show the coaches you know everyone in the league. They’ve seen you around and know your name. Even if they haven’t you should be able to get a name for yourself by your professionalism.

Now let’s talk about technique since you’ve been to Harry Wendelstedt’s school with 100 other umpires and were taught by 4 umpires who are now in MLB as you've repeatedly told me. We should all be so lucky to take off 5 weeks to go to school. But I digress. :home:First, clean the plate properly. Using your shoe is not professional. Show your butt to the fielders when using your plate brush. The fans do not want to see you bend over with your butt facing them. “Here we go” is not the same as “Play Ball” or “Play”. Now, admittedly your strike zone is generally impeccable. Show the strike with some arm action like your vocalization. Some of us claim to be deaf. Don’t mumble a called “Ball”. Please, oh please, when stating the count of 2 balls and no strikes say that. It’s not “two and ohhh”. It’s also not “thirty-two”, its three balls and 2 strikes plus showing the count with your fingers. Worse, I don’t think it’s proper to say “the count remains the same”. If you need to repeat the count then by all means repeat the count.

When doing the bases, your calls are generally excellent. I think that on those one or two occasions when the first baseman might have pulled his foot you could ask me just like I’ve gone to you. Remember? “Did he hold the bag?” It’s not a pride thing, it’s getting it right. Remember, the PIAA mantra for us this year is to “get it right”. I think our coaches would appreciate it.

Again, when doing the bases, please don’t flirt with the fans in between innings. It makes us look bad as a crew. Worse, don’t tell the coaches that WE enjoy checking out the MILFs. I admit that I will glance at them, after all I’m human, but we’re there to do a job. We’re not there to do a job on the ladies though sometimes I would like....oh, nevermind.

On another issue, I have a question about your time in Florida with the Wendelstedt gang. Did they teach you a new position as a base umpire? Please explain to me the advantages of hiding behind the pitcher with the bases loaded. The “B” or “C” position seems much better. One day you're going to get smacked with the ball if the pitcher is successful in ducking out of the way of a line drive.

Other than the above, I love the fact that you keep in constant communication with me by flashing signs, etc. I can tell you’re in the game. I like the fact that you hustle. I like the fact that when I ask very specific questions such as “Did he swing” or “Did he hold the bag” you answer loud and distinctly. That’s when we show we can be professionals.

On the matter of coaches, let’s discuss your approach to them when they’re wrong in your eyes. I really think they appreciate your explanations to them when you’ve got to explain the ruling. However, it might diffuse the situation if you’d allow the coach to give his side of what he saw. When you start shouting at him that he’s wrong before he’s got a decent chance to explain himself you’ve lost your credibility and worse, you’ve just put yourself in the position of having to eject him because you’ve backed him into a corner. :fuel:What's the record so far this season, 15 games/6 ejections so far? Coaches have lots of pride so more often than not you’re gonna have to run him. That would be ok but this is the really bad part. I have to come in and clean up the mess. I’ve got to separate the two of you. Finally, when I’m trying to get him to leave the field, please don’t yell at me that he’s gotta go RIGHT NOW or they forfeit. Trust me, I am getting him to leave. You’re just making me look like I’m not doing my job and worse, you’re making yourself look like an ass. Lastly, on this subject, don’t yell at me when I ask you not to demand that he leave the field immediately. I didn’t get myself ejected. He did.

Lastly, it’s ok to take criticism. I’m not sure why you don’t like it but that’s part of being a better umpire. You don’t have to impress me with your credentials. You’ve been doing this a long time and have had some great people school you on the game. Please show it.

Pet Peeves

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:32:48 +0000

Pet Peeves

The other night one of my buddies and I went out for a FCAB (Frosty Cold Adult Beverage) after the meeting kicking off our season. We are both itching to get back on the field. We had a great time but eventually we got into a jovial conversation about our pet peeves on the field. Here are a few of the highlights.

I know this one sounds remedial, but it has to be said: Coaches who don't know the rules. Think of how much easier our job as umpires would be if coaches had a decent grasp of the rules. We probably talked about most rules we discussed interference, obstruction, balks, force play slide rule, half swings, and more. You honestly would think these coaches who so obviously take pride in their work and coaching ability they would take a few moments to understand the rules better. *We also agreed that probably worse than coaches not knowing rules were umpires who do not know the rules. Of course we are talking about guys who should know better not the first year person doing youth rec ball. In addition to not knowing the rules we mentioned for coaches, we added base awards, catch and carry, batting out of order, substitutions. Granted these rules take a little deeper knowledge and experience level. Speaking from personal experience some of these are best learned when you kick the call then learn what you did wrong and not making that mistake again.

Hustle is another area where we agreed. We hate working with guys who don't hustle. Unlike rules this is completely unacceptable. No matter what the guys experience level is nothing screams "I don't care" like being lackadaisical on the field. We both also agreed that we don't care if its your first game and are going to the wrong place; if you're hustling and then we can cope. This is probably the easiest way to at least look like you are engaged in the game and know what you're doing.

My buddy told me one of his biggest pet peeves is a plate guy who has bad mechanics in giving the count and/or signals. He went on to speak about guys who are trying to use semaphore to land a plane. Guys who either are to nonchalant or just plain don't give signals. The plate guy should initiate most signals, and give them each time the situation changes. The count should be given at chest level while facing the pitcher. Signals should be made while making eye contact with your partner and pretty subtly and therefore should not draw any attention to the umpiring crew in giving the signals. Signals extend to verbally calling ball responsibility, telling that you are going out, and acknowledging what your partner has said.

We also agreed that one of our peeves is guys who brush the plate with incorrectly. This is such a simple thing and once again screams "I could care less." We also discussed guys who call time unnecessarily to clean the plate. If asked and it is legitimate sure clean the plate, but let's not delay the game unnecessarily. Put your rear to the pitcher and brush. Not from the side, not from behind the plate, and not with your foot unless necessary.

Don't have us call your game for you. We all need help from our partners at times and that is the beauty of having a partner on the field. But to frequently go to your partner for help shows a lack of confidence, lack of experience, lack of ability, and lack of authority. I don't think any body is going to have a problem with a half swing appeal or something simple. Also, when you go to your partner for an appeal don’t ask a leading question, ask "Did you have anything on that play at first?" It as also fine to ask, "Did you have a tag?" but not "He tagged him right?" Asking a loaded question is a double whammy. Your partner may infer that you are looking for agreement regardless of what he actually saw and can bee seen by coaches as showing them up. Then you run into the problem of if your partner does have something different now you look like a fool.

Here’s another one my friend brought up that I must say I was guilty of at the beginning of my career. I asked him if that was a direct reference to me. He said he didn’t remember be doing that, but I can honestly admit that once upon a time I stared at my indicator at least one time per pitch some times two. The pitch would come in, I'd make my call, click, then bring my indicator up so I could see the count, sometimes twice. Now when I see guys doing this I realize how foolish it looks and I see how coaches see that as a sign of no confidence and an easy target for their aggression and attempts to deliberately confuse these inexperienced umpires.

Along the lines of staring at the indicator we discussed flinching at incoming pitches unnecessarily. We all do it to some extent especially when working with catchers who don’t. But dodging the high and inside pitch with half way decent players is not acceptable. Give the catchers at any level the chance and even a second or third chance before giving up your proper position and going directly behind the catcher or getting happy feet on every pitch. You are wearing hundreds of dollars of equipment, so put it to good use. I believe that probably more often than not when I have been hit or hurt by a pitch I had moved to expose myself somewhere I probably wouldn’t have been exposed if I had locked in.

These are a few pet peeves we came up with.

So You Want to Be an Umpire?

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:30:55 +0000

So You Want to Be an Umpire?

Well it all starts right here at the amateur level. Whether your goal is to do local youth recreation games, to be behind the plate for the College World Series, or to make it to the big leagues; amateur umpiring is a rewarding endeavor not to be taken lightly. Calling games is invigorating, your adrenaline gets pumping, you are a part of the game, you should be enjoying it as much the players and fans. Umpiring is intrinsically rewarding too, the vast majority of players, coaches, and fans appreciate you and the time and effort you put into making their game a rewarding experience. I’ll probably be wearing the blue until the day I die.

The first question out of peoples mouths when I discuss umpiring is usually something to the effect of, ‘Are you paid for that?’ Despite the term amateur, we are paid; and it’s a pretty nice side income. Amateur refers to the level of ball we are calling. But please don’t expect to quit your day job. If you think you will umpire solely for the money, DON’T. Please go away leave our sport and get a part-time job at Wal-Mart. They hire anybody, the work is year round and they don’t seem to care that their employees don’t care about their jobs. Umpires need to care about the sport, the officials organization they represent, and their profession. To tell you the truth there is not really sustainable money in umpiring until you reach the majors. I know two Minor League guys who tell me that what I make for a high school game is not that much different from what they make in minor league ball, not to mention I have advantages they don’t: I get to sleep in my own bed at night; spend time with my friends and family; also I am able to have a full time regular job to truly support myself. But to them it is worth it for the opportunity to pass through “Baseball’s Narrowest Door.”

One of the next things people want to know are cool stories about ejections. All umpires have them and some not only relish the opportunity to toss someone, but then love to boast about how tough and macho they are for doing it. In my opinion it takes a better umpire to keep that coach in the game. I always strive to keep everyone in the game and have found by calmly talking to them, controlling the situation, and saying the right things I can get that coach back in the dugout and keep things rolling smoothly. I can count on my fingers and toes how many people I have sent to the parking lot over the years, most of the time it is a player who has done something flagrant and I have no other option. I’ve also tossed a few assistant coaches, but that’s relatively harmless. I have restricted head coaches to the bench, and that usually will either cure the situation or create a situation which forces me to send him packing. My point is the ejection is a powerful tool, but should be a tool of last resort.

Next you need to figure out if you are umpiring material. It’s a tough job both mentally and physically. Mentally, you need to be a resolute decision maker. Game altering things happen in a blink of an eye and it’s your call. You have to be thinking about the situation in the game anticipating what is about to happen, where you need to be on the field, and always know that even the most routine plays can blow up on you if you are not paying attention. The unexpected is bound to happen. Beyond that you need to be mentally tough, because you will get an earful from the coaches and fans, and they be saying personal things to you trying to get under your skin. I have seen a younger umpire nearly brought to tears after missing a call and hearing it from so many people, unfortunately he lost focus and couldn’t recover during that game. I personally wore glasses nearly my entire life but after about three years of umpiring I switched to contacts so not to give people any more ammunition to use on me.

Physically, this job is demanding. You don’t just stand behind the plate calling balls and strikes, you will need to get out there and hustle. It may not seem like a lot, but you will be calling 200 pitches a game. Each pitch you get into position, regardless if you use the box, the scissors or the GD stance that means lowering your level 200 times. No matter how good your posturing and mechanics are or how comfortable of shoes you have it will take its toll on you. Now multiply that by 2 or 3 plates you may get on a Saturday.

Baseball is played in the summer and it is sometimes difficult wearing the uniform and equipment in the regular summer heat. This past summer I took a week off of work to do a huge AAU tournament where the average temperature was over 100 degrees with 95% humidity. Working 3-4 of these games a day really takes a toll on you and you have to be ready for it.

There are significant cost factors which you need to consider. I mentioned the pay earlier, but before you hit the field for the first time you are going to shell out between $300-$500 to get your uniforms, equipment, insurance, fees, etc… You should recoup this investment rather quickly, but it can be quite shocking. Also, you should expect that every year you will spend a fair amount of money on new equipment either upgrading to better equipment or replacing worn items. The ‘cost’ of your time commitment is also something not to be taken lightly. You will have not only the time for the games to consider, but many meetings, tests, and probably some voluntary events to participate in as well. Once you make the commitment you need to see it through, people are counting on you.

How do you become an umpire? Most areas will have one or more umpire associations. It is critically important to be involved with the right one. The better associations will offer free and comprehensive training, both on the field and in the classroom. The better associations will often times be the larger ones with the most contracts in the area. This website has a list of various associations. But it wouldn’t hurt to go to a local game and talk to the umpires and find out about their association what leagues and levels they do, what their training is like, when they take in new umpires. I’ve never met an umpire who didn’t like to talk about his work.

Being an amateur umpire is a rewarding activity that you can grow with, and can offer you long term enjoyment. If you believe you have what it takes, join in.

Rob Drake, Thank you for TheUmpireLife

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:12:02 +0000

Rob Drake, Thank you for TheUmpireLife

It was with a heavy heart I removed TheUmpireLife from the links section of Umpire-Empire and from my bookmarks. I first visited TheUmpireLife in January of this year when doing some research for this site. At that time the site was a modest blog. The content wasn’t all that it grew to be at that time but was still very interesting. I posted a comment to his article, and bookmarked the site to check out more frequently for updates. One thing that really impressed me was that Rob personally replied quickly to my comment. It quickly went into my “Daily Surfing” bookmark file. The growth of TheUmpireLife was also something spectacular. I have personally never seen a site with such exponential growth and active participation. In just under 2 month growing to over 300 registered users. That doesn’t include the additional hundreds of visitors who never even registered. Some webmaster statistics cite that only about 10% of a sites visitors will ever register most visitors are primarily inactive browsers. This makes its growth even more astounding.

The content of TheUmpireLife was also second to none. The tone was kept in check even some posts/threads which were more inflammatory in nature were dealt with professionally. I think specifically of a person who made 2 comments one asking Rob to apologize for a call the poster thought Rob missed, and another where the same individual made comments on the handling of one of Rob’s ejections. The poster’s tone was definitely inflammatory, but Rob’s was tactful. As was the tone of all of the professional umpires there. This tone which was set by the pros was maintained by the vast majority of posters. I also found there was no holier than thou tone or attitude from anybody. The information relayed was highly informative. Whether a question about being a pro, a mechanics issue or a rules issue. Everybody posted clear well-informed information. This was one of the beauties of TheUmpireLife. Amateur umpires could post their questions to the professionals and count on getting a quality response without being looked down upon. This included everything from light hearted questions about a situation to in depth rule interpretations and applications. This made the site educational for the amateur umpires and a truly interactive learning experience. Which I believe accounted *greatly for its rapid growth.

I also found the site to be well moderated. Spam was addressed quickly, there didn’t seem to be any deletions or removals which were unnecessary. This is one of my pet peeves about discussion boards. Where a moderator who comes under scrutiny all of the sudden makes those posts disappear. ***Poof*** I hope there can be some reasonable resolution to the situation and look forward to any updates from Rob. Hopefully TheUmpireLife will be able to reemerge in some fashion so we as amateur umpires can continue to learn from those who have made it through baseballs narrowest door. These guys made themselves accessible to us and got nothing in return but our gratitude and the sense of helping their brothers in blue. I wanted to end with some of the posts which have recently appeared on TheUmpireLife. It may sound hokie, but Rob your site has effected so many people in so many ways. We all appreciate what you have done and hope no harm comes to you professionally from your successful attempt to improve the greater umpiring community.

I've had a blast - not that I'm leaving. It's been awesome discussing rules interps with those that have years of experience at the upper levels of baseball.* ManInBlue
Thanks Rob for what we've had so far. Your site has been first-rate... cookie
I would like to thank Rob for starting the site and message board. I know it has helped all of us with our umpiring. Coaster Palooza
A+ on the site. It has connected me with so many people. I appreciate it. mattmullins55
I learned a lot and gained a ton of confidence while working my HS games thanks to the knowledge I gained from the info shared on the site. It was like attending a daily umpire's clinic. My life has been enlightened. Thank you! circlesthesun
As a 15 year old LL umpire i loved this site as I could chat with other umpires and get advise. Thank you Rob for all you've done, and taking the time to think about the other umpires. FALLumpire
Thanks so much, Rob, for running this site. I got an immense amount of knowledge from you and the great bunch of umpires here. BrianC14
I just wanted to say thanks for the effort you put into this idea. And to all the rest (Professional- LL umpires), thanks for keeping this site civil. It was refreshing to visit daily and share experiences. Dobie
I have learned alot and feel that i am a better umpire because of this site. THANK YOU!!! for attempting to let umpires of all walks of life see into the world you work in and teaching us to be more professional in our levels of baseball. okump96
Thank you Rob! This was an excellent umpiring message board and I will definitely miss it. I have a new found respect for you after you started this message board to HELP us amateur umpires get better. There is a dying need for umpiring education everywhere, and this was a great source of information from someone at the highest level of baseball. angus
THANK YOU. For giving us somewhere to come and speak on a professional level and allow us to get better as umpires across the board. I don't think there is one person on this site who hasn't taken at least something away from it, and that credit solely goes to you. Rash3UC

Thoughts from the Coordinator

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:10:51 +0000

Thoughts from the Coordinator

As I am sitting down to write this, my hair on the top of my head is getting more grey than ever before. The role as an umpire scheduler can be a tough job, especially when your guys in blue don’t do their job correctly. Now I am not talking about the close call at second he made which half of the people in the stands agree and the other half doesn’t. I am talking about the umpire’s duties and commitment to the scheduler he agreed to when he agreed to work the ball game.

Time Management

One of my biggest pet peeves is not showing up to the game at least a half hour before game time. This is a minimum! The time before the game should be used to getting dressed, meeting with your partner, and talking to your partner before the game. This pre-game meeting is vital to the success of the third team out on the field, and is unfortunately overlooked in the youth leagues.

Along the same lines as showing up on time is starting the game on time. If game time is scheduled for 6:00PM, that is when the first pitch needs to be made. This is not when the umpires should be getting dressed, strolling out to the field, or even starting ground rules. 6:00PM game time means first pitch at 6:00PM.

Overall, please keep the game moving! As soon as that pitcher is ready, whether he has had all the allowed warm-up pitches or not, get the game moving. In the youth level, help the catchers out with passed balls during warm-ups and if there are no runners on base. If this is the case, I give the catcher a ball from my bag, and I retrieve the ball myself. This will drastically shorten the time required to get through an inning. Of course, you do not want to encourage lazy catching, but if you can tell they are trying, help them out!

Summary:

As an umpire, please be sure you are effective with your time management skills!

Umpire Demeanor

Showing up in uniform seems to be a given, but this is not always the case. It is my philosophy that if an umpire does not show up in uniform, I will be on the phone calling a replacement. Uniforms are vital to the professional aspect of umpiring. If you are in a proper league uniform, it makes parents, coaches, and players treat you differently. They know you aren’t any bum off the street, but you are here to call a ball game. Again, at the youth level, uniforms are overlooked by our teen umpires.

Don’t chat between innings. This includes the fans, the players, the coaches, and even your partner. A meeting between the two umpires is not necessary after every half inning. Unless there is something the umpires need to talk about, the home plate umpire should stand on the first base foul line and the base umpire should be in short right/center field watching the players take infield. When the catcher throws it down, umpires should hustle to their position and be ready for the first pitch.

Be fair but firm. Don’t give up any ground. Listen to any argument, but once it has gone long enough, starts getting into personalities, or starts bringing up the past, let the other party know the conversation is over. Start walking away and if they follow, warn them and continue walking away. If they persist, show them the parking lot. At this point they have had three opportunities to stop and walk away. Do not show anybody up and be sure not to look like the aggressor. If I have calls coming in saying the umpire was attacking and verbally abusing someone, my evening will be filled with investigating the incident, so don’t make it look this way. This is not something I want to do after a long day’s work. I always say if they offend you where everyone can hear, toss them so everyone can hear. If they say something only you can hear, toss them so only they can hear. Be sure not to have a chip on your shoulder with this and remember we are not trying to draw crowds or media attention like in the big leagues.

Summary: Be professional. This includes your uniform, your game demeanor, and how you handle situations.

Some further tips to make my life easier from a youth league standpoint:

•

If you take a game, show up!
Do not argue about who gets what position. This is not a good way to start a game. Remember you are the third team on the field. And if I have to pick who does plate, you probably aren’t going to like it.
Do not bring your cell phone on the diamond. If you need a clock, bring a watch. If police need to be called to the park, I will take care of that for you, but if I catch you texting or taking a call during the game, do not expect to get any more assignments from me.
Do not call me half-hour before game time to tell me you cannot make it.

Unless there is a dire emergency, you can again expect to not receive any more assignments from me.

Please do not forget I will have your back in almost all situations at the youth level, but please do all you can to make my job easier. This will likely save me lots of grey hairs, and will make my job a lot more fun!

Respectfully,

The Umpire Coordinator

New Blue: Trouble and Triumphs of the Freshly M...

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 18:08:27 +0000

New Blue:Trouble and Triumphs of the Freshly Minted Umpire Part I

How did you get into being an umpire? That’s the question I’ve been asked the most over the past few weeks. My answer always starts with “Well there was this old man cutting my hair in Quantico, Virginia...” Who else starts any sentence with that? How does your story start? I have to ask because if I have been asked that question fifty times in four weeks, then I KNOW some of you have been asked thousands of times.

Four weeks you say? Yes, I have been an umpire for four weeks. Or more importantly, fourteen innings. But we’ll say four weeks for now because that’s how long ago my association took my dues, gave me my green book and my orange book and said “read this.” My name is Mike, and I umpire high school baseball. Or at least that’s the goal. I’ve worked two scrimmages and my first JV game is tomorrow. I worked the last scrimmage on Monday, and the time I left the ball field to the time I write this has been like one looong Christmas Eve. I’m not talking about the ‘I’m a 20 year old guy in an apartment with nowhere to be cuz everything is closed’ Christmas Eve. I’m talking the ‘seven year old boy who can’t even keep his eyes closed’ Christmas Eve!

That’s what this article series is about; the troubles, trials, and triumphs of being green. Or blue as it turns out. New Blue! I want a place to write my experiences for my benefit, the benefits of others, and maybe, just maybe you’ll be entertained. If not by my humor, then by my utter cluelessness.

So this is what I need from you, dear reader. Most of you are seasoned, serious umpires. I need you guys to stay tuned in and give me comments. Let me have it. I have thick skin, and despite what my wife thinks, I’m pretty quick on the uptake. I’ll be relating situations, asking questions, et al. For you guys that are in the same boat as me, or even in the boat behind mine, this series is for your benefit. You can learn something from the guy ahead of you even at the very ground level. And do what you have to do to learn as much as you can. I don’t care if you have to bookmark this site and others and come back every fifteen minutes to see if somebody has posted something new. Every experience that another guy posts or writes about is another one that you can put in your pocket for when it happens to you.

That’s it for now. Yeah, I know it wasn’t very long, and I didn’t say much, but I just wanted you to get to know me and my cause a little. Next time we’ll talk about some fun stuff and how oblivious I truly am to the way things are as an umpire. It’ll be a good time. Now I have to go “fit check” my gear again, and spit shine my shoes. It’s Christmas Eve.

Semper fi,

Mike

Umpiring and Social Networking

Thu, 16 Sep 2010 17:54:28 +0000

Umpiring and Social Networking

I know a few things about social networking, after all in the grand scheme of things Umpire-Empire is a social networking site and in just over 2 years has grown to be one of the largest and most visited umpiring sites on the internet.

This is a serious topic. In today’s information driven society it is all too easy to inadvertently step on a landmine, one which can detonate weeks, months or even years later. Remember once something is posted on the internet it is there forever, even if it gets “deleted.” So be mindful of what you post not only here but on your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter accounts or your own personal blog. Players, coaches, fans, and parents can find you, what you’ve said and more. So I’ve come up with this guide to help you avoid trouble.

First, and foremost don’t say or write anything you don’t want to be attributed to you. Even using pseudonyms or usernames don’t think you have complete anonymity. It could be easy to either figure out who you really are or narrow things down enough to figure it out.
Choose an indistinguishable username. If you use your real name as your username you will be giving up your anonymity.
Keep in mind your forum signature. You may have an anonymous username, but your signature gives your real full name and maybe some more identifying information. Keep this in mind when you write your signature. I'm not saying don't do it, but be aware.
Don’t go into too many specifics. If you want to tell about a game or situation you had don’t give too many details which can follow you. Bad example of a post. “I ejected the Kennedy High School coach John Doe yesterday. He was being a complete ass arguing the hands are part of the bat.” How easy is that going to be to find ad deduce who you are? A better post would be, “I ejected the offensive coach yesterday. He was being a complete ass arguing the hands are part of the bat.” You point still got across, and there isn’t anything specific enough to trace back to the actual situation.
Be careful who you friend/follow/etc on the social networking sites. Here’s a perfect example: On Facebook there is a section that suggests friends to you in the top right when you are on your page. I will sometimes get a suggestion of a local varsity coach. Apparently, we have a few friends in common, but haven’t crossed paths socially before. I would be a fool to add him as a friend, and that also goes to show how I need to be careful what I put as one of our mutual friends may inadvertently say something I put or even share one of my posts. It can even hurt if it is not about him but another coach or team.
Keep your social networking pages private. All major social networking sites offer the ability to keep your posts/profile private from those who are not friends. Make sure you have some level of privacy enabled. I don't want to sound paranoid, but you should be selective of who can view your information whether you are an umpire or not.
If you are contacted by someone about something that occurred on the field, respectfully decline to respond. Especially if it’s somebody you are not familiar with.
Don’t use or give your partner’s name either. We’re all in this together, brothers in blue, by simply using your partner's name you may be inadvertently throwing him under the information super-highway. Be vague his name isn't important in the grand scheme of things.

Here’s a little test, open Google or your search engine of choice and enter: “Your first and last name” AND umpire. See what comes up. Searching my name I get 58 results from Google, 12 with WebCrawler, 9 each with Alta Vista and Yahoo and 8 each on Bing and Ask. Now because I’m more active online I probably have more hits than many/most other people. But it only takes one hit heading to the wrong place.

One of the things I do on a regular basis is check what keywords people are using to find Umpire-Empire to help improve the site. You absolutely would not believe the number of hits I find of our members real names which bring people to Umpire-Empire, and I don't even know the vast majority of the members real names. Granted a recent article cited 57% of people have Googled their own name and this may account for a portion of this, but others may be Googling your name too.

A disgruntled coach, player or fan can do this too and cyber-stalk you or even claim you have a bias because of something you have written. Even worse your assigner getting wind of something you've written and denying you a choice assignment.

What you write can come back to bite you professionally as well. While hopefully this would not apply to anything you write about umpiring it is becoming more and more common for potential employers to look at your online profile. There have been numerous articles written about employers not hiring a certain person based on information they found about them on social networking sites.

By no means am I saying don't share your passion for umpiring here or elsewhere, just be vigilant of what you write and as your writing something give a second thought about how anonymous you really are.