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Rapport with Players


BillKen
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Watching these videos, I started pondering all the times that I've walked a ball to the pitcher over the years to have a little verbal judo with him.  I can't ever think of a time where I felt that we didn't walk away better.  It gives us both time to reflect and respect what the other one is doing.  Some other random thoughts:

1.  Pro umpires complain about getting 6-figure salaries when the players have 8-figure salaries (and egos)...this is why.  They are treated as a sub class of citizens.  Rob went out there to see if he and CC could reach an agreement.  The only one looking for a fight was CC.

2.  Announcers (even the ones who played the game) are really clueless about everything umps do...mechanics, philosophies, attitudes, game/situation management, etc.  They need to put more retired umps in the booth.

3.  If Drake doesn't manage CC there, the potential for a bench clearing situation increases 10-fold...especially with Mr. Ejection himself in the game.  This is Yankees-Red Sox...Not Milwaukee-Padres.

Amateur umpires: Don't be afraid to talk to players...they are human and they need to see that you are human too.  Have fun with them...we are playing a game.  It isn't combat even though Daddy-Coach might say it is.  There are a lot of ways to deal with situations that boil up...Rob could have called a ball for delay, he could have just gone straight for the ejection...but instead he thought he'd go try to calm him down and develop the relationship/trust factor.  CC is having a tough year and I guess he don't want to talk.  But don't let that discourage us as amateur umps.  This is good umpiring.

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Watching these videos, I started pondering all the times that I've walked a ball to the pitcher over the years to have a little verbal judo with him.  I can't ever think of a time where I felt that we didn't walk away better.  It gives us both time to reflect and respect what the other one is doing.  Some other random thoughts:

1.  Pro umpires complain about getting 6-figure salaries when the players have 8-figure salaries (and egos)...this is why.  They are treated as a sub class of citizens.  Rob went out there to see if he and CC could reach an agreement.  The only one looking for a fight was CC.

2.  Announcers (even the ones who played the game) are really clueless about everything umps do...mechanics, philosophies, attitudes, game/situation management, etc.  They need to put more retired umps in the booth.

3.  If Drake doesn't manage CC there, the potential for a bench clearing situation increases 10-fold...especially with Mr. Ejection himself in the game.  This is Yankees-Red Sox...Not Milwaukee-Padres.

Amateur umpires: Don't be afraid to talk to players...they are human and they need to see that you are human too.  Have fun with them...we are playing a game.  It isn't combat even though Daddy-Coach might say it is.  There are a lot of ways to deal with situations that boil up...Rob could have called a ball for delay, he could have just gone straight for the ejection...but instead he thought he'd go try to calm him down and develop the relationship/trust factor.  CC is having a tough year and I guess he don't want to talk.  But don't let that discourage us as amateur umps.  This is good umpiring.

I agree with everything you said except one thing.  We are professional umpires.  All of us.  Perhaps we're not career umpires, but we are professionals and we have to treat ourselves as such.  Because we can't expect anyone to treat us as we deserve unless we treat ourselves that way first.  I think you nailed this subject on the head when you mention building a good rapport with players (and coaches, too, for that matter) because that's how to earn respect, make the game go smooth and have fun.

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http://m.mlb.com/video/v340823383/

here's the video from the game...... the idiot on high heat makes it sound like Drake went out and started the shouting. he just gave CC the ball,  said a little piece and walked to the plate. CC starts the yelling as he is walking off the field at the end of the inning......

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I agree in high school I seem to work the same group of schools and have seen the same coaches for awhile now, they all to seem to be respectful when questioning a call as I will listen and explain what I see and will work hard to get it right. I think that you get respect when you give it. I have been doing an adult league for the last 3 years and see the same players for the most part and again I give them respect listen and explain to them what I saw and have no problem going to my partner to see if he saw it different than I did to get the call right. Again the respect that is given is a two way street .

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  • 1 month later...

I was talking to a parent the other day (not from a team I'd had, off the field, and out of uniform).  He said that it seems like MLB umpires pick fights for no reason.  My response (and it kind of clicked in my head when I said it) was that: 

The umpires aren't power tripping.  They are using their voice as a tool to manage a volatile game with the most intense players and managers in the world.  When you're dealing with a testosterone fueled and frustrated MLB batter who you just rung up on strike three, being "approachable" is going to do absolutely nothing for you.  You need to take control of the situation, and when you're dealing with that caliber of athlete, that means being aggressively assertive with both voice and body language.  I also pointed out that the reason situations like the one in the video seem to pop out of the blue is that MLB umpires are so good at preemptive game management, you aren't even aware of 90% of situations. The game management that you actually see (notice) on TV is last resort game management, and it doesn't look good, but sometimes it's what's needed.

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