How much guff would you take?

[bluejerred]

I am a rookie umpire and have only worked a handful of games so far.  I really like it and I just knew that the bad day was coming.  Last night was my first game where the tension level was high with the coaches   (apparently they didn't like the calls I was making on the bases despite being by myself).  How much guff do you allow when you are working by yourself?  What tips or stories do you have that would be useful for me in future encounters?  I talked about it with some vets on my intro post but wanted to put this out there to see if anyone else might have anything to say about it.  Any war stories out there about working as a single umpire?

[Mike Prince]

Working solo - not much beyond a courteous question of what you may have seen on a given call. Any arguing or yelling about calls is the fast path to an EJ.

[KLAH316]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

THIS

 

If you are working alone and obviously hustling to get in the best position to see the whole call..... The coaches are to be shut down immediately.

[semper_fi_72]

 Any war stories out there about working as a single umpire?

 

I am a Married Umpire so I don't have any single umpire war stories.

[jjb]

You are a "single Umpire" for one reason: they don't want to pay for two. Even with the 2-man system, there are times where we can not be in position to see every play. With the 1-man system, it is even more difficult. You get in the best position you can, make the best call that you can, and move on. If they don't like it, see ya....

[umpcoachfather]

" Pay for another Ump" 

[BigUmp56]

The one piece of advice I give any umpire having to work solo is to tell them to get their mask off and get out from behind the plate into a resonable working area to make calls on the bases. You'll need to learn that when working solo, the angles you take to see a play develop and unfold, are much more important that the distance you'll be from the play. You're simply not going to get anywhere as close to a play on the bases as you will when working 2 or 3 man.

 

Don't let youself end up in a straight line with a fielder throwing a ball, the runner, and the player fielding the throw. You'll miss a lot of calls if you do. We call this "being straightlined", and you'll hear us discussing it all of the time here.Try to get to a spot that affords you a view of the play at a 90 degree angle to it, if at all possible. Move to the best spot possible and set youself up before having to make a call. You don't want to be moving when you make a call. You want your eyes steady in order to take it all in.

 

PAUSE (set yourself), READ (see the entire play unfold), and REACT (make the call.)

 

 

Tim.

[JaxRolo]

You got to move when working solo.

 

I had an 18U solo game last night. Had R2 Fly ball to right field. R2 tags up. I was at the cutout the throw to 3rd was a bit off but F5 caught it and dove for the runner who was sliding to the outside part of 3rd. I had the tag to R2 just before he touched the base with his hand.

 

All I heard from coaches was nice hustle blue. Way to go. Not only from one side but from both sides.

[maven]

PAUSE (set yourself), READ (see the entire play unfold), and REACT (make the call.)

 

Tim's advice about angles is good. The other crucial piece is timing: see the whole play. Sure, the ball beat the runner, but if it ends up rolling on the ground while you're signaling an out, you lose credibility. If he's out, he's going to stay out for a second or two more while you verify that the fielder held onto the ball.

[umpire_scott]

Whenever I'm doing single-man I always remind the coaches of that at the plate meeting.  I know it's obvious, but a little reminder at the plate meeting oftentimes works wonders for them.  They don't want to be a jerk right after being reminded to not be a jerk.  Clearly this is not full-proof, but usually what I'll say is "coaches I'm out here by myself tonight so I'll hustle to get in the best position to make the calls, but I ask that you respect the fact that I'm going to call them the best I can under the circumstances".
 

[bam]

 How much guff do you allow when you are working by yourself? 

 

Zero. 

[MPLSMatt]

Whenever I'm doing single-man I always remind the coaches of that at the plate meeting.  I know it's obvious, but a little reminder at the plate meeting oftentimes works wonders for them.  They don't want to be a jerk right after being reminded to not be a jerk.  Clearly this is not full-proof, but usually what I'll say is "coaches I'm out here by myself tonight so I'll hustle to get in the best position to make the calls, but I ask that you respect the fact that I'm going to call them the best I can under the circumstances".

 

 

 

This can work if your league doesn't normally have you working solo, but if one umpire is standard this can also sound like making an excuse before the game even begins. 

[umpire_scott]

 

Whenever I'm doing single-man I always remind the coaches of that at the plate meeting.  I know it's obvious, but a little reminder at the plate meeting oftentimes works wonders for them.  They don't want to be a jerk right after being reminded to not be a jerk.  Clearly this is not full-proof, but usually what I'll say is "coaches I'm out here by myself tonight so I'll hustle to get in the best position to make the calls, but I ask that you respect the fact that I'm going to call them the best I can under the circumstances".

 

 

 

This can work if your league doesn't normally have you working solo, but if one umpire is standard this can also sound like making an excuse before the game even begins. 

 

 

Agreed.  If it was a league that the standard was working solo I would not say that.

[SoCal Lurker]

I am a rookie umpire and have only worked a handful of games so far.  I really like it and I just knew that the bad day was coming.  Last night was my first game where the tension level was high with the coaches   (apparently they didn't like the calls I was making on the bases despite being by myself).  How much guff do you allow when you are working by yourself?  What tips or stories do you have that would be useful for me in future encounters?  I talked about it with some vets on my intro post but wanted to put this out there to see if anyone else might have anything to say about it.  Any war stories out there about working as a single umpire?

 

 

I'm guessing as a rookie you're doing kid's games where teams are used to one umpire.  (For context, I'm not an umpire, but I am an experienced referee, and have coached baseball.)  In my experience, if you are getting out from behind the plate to be in the best position you can, you're going to get more slack.  Coaches appreciate hustle -- from their players and from others.  But as the experienced umpires have said, also make sure you get settled -- it is harder to make baseball calls on the move.

[blue23ll]

I take zero guff doing a solo game, and as a general rule I don't take much guff anyway. As far as warnings during the plate meeting, I don't give warnings then. My plate meetings last about 2 minutes tops, and I find giving warnings or lectures is not appropriate.

[Jesse]

What are your guys thoughts about working from behind the mound in a solo game?

[bam]

 My plate meetings last about 2 minutes tops, and I find giving warnings or lectures is not appropriate.

 

2 minutes is a looooong time.  30 seconds (absent funky ground rules).  Especially this far into the season.  these guys are sick enough of umpires, they don't need to listen to me explain the rules of the game to them each night.  I was working with a "senior" guy the other week and he went ON and ON and ON....  Unbelieveable. 

What are your guys thoughts about working from behind the mound in a solo game?

 

Refer to Papa C

[blue23ll]

Yes, Carl does advocate working behind the mound when solo. He also has promoted the idea of working only in B and C, which in some ways makes sense.

[MT_Blue]

i give little to no rope while working one man, hustle does alot to aleiviate some of the crying you may/maynot hear.

[bluejerred]

 

PAUSE (set yourself), READ (see the entire play unfold), and REACT (make the call.)

 

Tim's advice about angles is good. The other crucial piece is timing: see the whole play. Sure, the ball beat the runner, but if it ends up rolling on the ground while you're signaling an out, you lose credibility. If he's out, he's going to stay out for a second or two more while you verify that the fielder held onto the ball.

 

That's a really good point there.  If I were to self-assess my last few games, I would say that I was trying to put more emphasis on trying to get close to the play rather than pausing to watch the play.  In another words, moving harder and not smarter.  Getting a good angle is something that I will remember to focus on rather than just trying to get as close as I can and then taking a little extra time.

[BigUmp56]

Yes, Carl does advocate working behind the mound when solo. He also has promoted the idea of working only in B and C, which in some ways makes sense.

 

 

Carl sent me a early draft of his "Mechanics for the 21st Centuy" and we discussed the idea of eliminating A position for two man, ad nauseum. I see some valid points to it, but to me, there's no better view of a pickoff at first base than from A position. We all know how to call it from B or C, but in my mind giving up the foul line to the PU, and the sacrifice on the pickoff, doesn't make switching to the new mechanic make sense to me.

 

 

Tim.

[maven]

That's a really good point there.  If I were to self-assess my last few games, I would say that I was trying to put more emphasis on trying to get close to the play rather than pausing to watch the play.  In another words, moving harder and not smarter.  Getting a good angle is something that I will remember to focus on rather than just trying to get as close as I can and then taking a little extra time.

Pro school teaches a slogan: angle over distance. You've already seen the point.

 

And be sure to stop moving before the play occurs, so you get the best view possible.

[th3]

Whenever I'm doing single-man I always remind the coaches of that at the plate meeting.  I know it's obvious, but a little reminder at the plate meeting oftentimes works wonders for them.  They don't want to be a jerk right after being reminded to not be a jerk.  Clearly this is not full-proof, but usually what I'll say is "coaches I'm out here by myself tonight so I'll hustle to get in the best position to make the calls, but I ask that you respect the fact that I'm going to call them the best I can under the circumstances".

 

i would never do this

[JaxRolo]

What are your guys thoughts about working from behind the mound in a solo game?

 

 

Please say you didn't just ask this question??????  :smachhead: :smachhead:

[James Walker]

What are your guys thoughts about working from behind the mound in a solo game?

 

 

Please say you didn't just ask this question??????  :smachhead: :smachhead:

It's deja vu all over again :bang: