Jump to content

To clean or not to clean... THE PLATE

kstrunk

By kstrunk
in Professional

 Share
Umpire-Empire locks topics which have not been active in the last year. The thread you are viewing hasn't been active in 2521 days so you will not be able to post. We do recommend you starting a new topic to find out what's new in the world of umpiring.

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 64
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

MidAmUmp
MidAmUmp

Skip covers the plate = Nope, I'm not cleaning it. Skip kicks out a foul line = Nope, I'm not rechalking it. Skip throws a base = Nope, I'm not putting it back in the ground. Skip throw

MidAmUmp
MidAmUmp

At the Mid-American Umpire Clinic (shameless plug) we always say you have to deal with coaches and players like you would your child.  So to put this in some perspective... Let's say your ch

MidAmUmp
MidAmUmp

Says a coach... Kids at that age are very impressionable. If they see Daddy go out and go batSH*# crazy on an umpire, kick dirt, throw stuff, and/or cover the plate and only get ejected...it lets

MidAmUmp

MidAmUmp

Posted
Posted

Skip covers the plate = Nope, I'm not cleaning it.

Skip kicks out a foul line = Nope, I'm not rechalking it.

Skip throws a base = Nope, I'm not putting it back in the ground.

Skip throws SH*# out of the dugout = Nope, I'm not picking any of it up...but we ain't starting again until it's off the field.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites
noumpere

noumpere

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, MidAmUmp said:

Skip covers the plate = Nope, I'm not cleaning it.

Skip kicks out a foul line = Nope, I'm not rechalking it.

Skip throws a base = Nope, I'm not putting it back in the ground.

Skip throws SH*# out of the dugout = Nope, I'm not picking any of it up...but we ain't starting again until it's off the field.

I think a lot of the disagreement has to do with the level of ball different people do, the expectations at that level, and how cleaning the plate (and the other things MidAmUmp mentions) affect the umpire's future reputation and ability to work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Haid D' Salaami

Haid D' Salaami

Posted
Posted
On 5/20/2017 at 10:24 PM, lawump said:

As I've posted before, im not cleaning it.  It is my job to clean it when it becomes dirty during the normal course of play.  A manager burying the plate because he's pi$$ed is not the "normal course of play."

I admit that this may be one of the last vestiges of my pro ball red-assness.

John Shulock was another who refuse; I beleive he even let an F2 borrow his plate brush once.  LOL.

100% I'm with you.. I'm not cleaning it either.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
LRZ

LRZ

Posted
Posted

OK, I get it, but, seriously, who does clean the plate? The offending manager/coach is gone, so it's not him. Another coach from the same team? If the offender is on defense, the catcher? If it's the team at bat, the catcher, although it wasn't his side that offended? Seriously--I'm trying to picture the various scenarios--how do you proceed?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ElkOil

ElkOil

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, LRZ said:

OK, I get it, but, seriously, who does clean the plate? The offending manager/coach is gone, so it's not him. Another coach from the same team? If the offender is on defense, the catcher? If it's the team at bat, the catcher, although it wasn't his side that offended? Seriously--I'm trying to picture the various scenarios--how do you proceed?

Thank you. That's why this whole things seems like we'd be asking for more trouble than it's worth if we don't clean the plate.

I seriously don't think anyone but another umpire would look at this situation and think we're being shown up, walked over or taken advantage of. It's a problem of our own making, and specific to us.

Dump the coach, brush the plate, play on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Specks

Specks

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, ElkOil said:

I seriously don't think anyone but another umpire would look at this situation and think we're being shown up, walked over or taken advantage of.

How about the other manager, players and coaches? Are you worried about the fans, they don't know the rules much less anything else.

Whether you realize it or not he is showing you up, he knows it, the other coaches know, everybody else knows it!

How you deal with that will go a long way toward how you're viewed and treated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
ElkOil

ElkOil

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Specks said:

How about the other manager, players and coaches? Are you worried about the fans, they don't know the rules much less anything else.

Whether you realize it or not he is showing you up, he knows it, the other coaches know, everybody else knows it!

How you deal with that will go a long way toward how you're viewed and treated.

So how would you answer @LRZ's question? What do you do?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
maven

maven

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, LRZ said:

OK, I get it, but, seriously, who does clean the plate? The offending manager/coach is gone, so it's not him. Another coach from the same team? If the offender is on defense, the catcher? If it's the team at bat, the catcher, although it wasn't his side that offended? Seriously--I'm trying to picture the various scenarios--how do you proceed?

The question presupposes that somebody must clean the plate. But why? If the offense covers it so they can't see it, then they're in no position to complain about my big zone. (Reminds me of Jimmy telling a budding pro umpire never to clean off a base, and for much the same reason.)

Depending on the heat of the game, I might kick a little off the edges on my way past. But really: I know where it is.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
ElkOil

ElkOil

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, maven said:

The question presupposes that somebody must clean the plate. But why? If the offense covers it so they can't see it, then they're in no position to complain about my big zone. (Reminds me of Jimmy telling a budding pro umpire never to clean off a base, and for much the same reason.)

Depending on the heat of the game, I might kick a little off the edges on my way past. But really: I know where it is.

I'm in the camp who believes somebody must clean the plate, and I'm the dude with the brush. That's not a false premise in my mind. Maybe it's a camp of just one, but I'm fine with that because there's more room around the fire and more s'mores for me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
MidAmUmp

MidAmUmp

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, LRZ said:

At the levels I work, primarily with daddy coaches, the manager who buries the plate would not be around to clean it off.

Personally, if a daddy ball coach covers the plate in dirt, you shouldn't be around to clean off the plate either. Forfeit the game and leave.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Specks

Specks

Posted
Posted
43 minutes ago, ElkOil said:

So how would you answer @LRZ's question? What do you do?

 

7 minutes ago, maven said:

But really: I know where it is.

I know where the plate is. I won't clean it then, maybe a few pitches/plays/some time etc passes then I'll do it. My guess is F2 would reach up and knock some off first. I just want them to know you don't mess around with Jim (well Greg in this case).

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
MidAmUmp

MidAmUmp

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, LRZ said:

OK, I get it, but, seriously, who does clean the plate? The offending manager/coach is gone, so it's not him. Another coach from the same team? If the offender is on defense, the catcher? If it's the team at bat, the catcher, although it wasn't his side that offended? Seriously--I'm trying to picture the various scenarios--how do you proceed?

If the defensive team covers the plate, their catcher can clean it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Specks

Specks

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, ElkOil said:

Maybe it's a camp of just one, but I'm fine with that because there's more room around the fire and more s'mores for me.

Wait....nobody said anything about s'mores!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BrianC14

BrianC14

Posted
Posted
46 minutes ago, Specks said:

 

I know where the plate is. I won't clean it then, maybe a few pitches/plays/some time etc passes then I'll do it. My guess is F2 would reach up and knock some off first. I just want them to know you don't mess around with Jim (well Greg in this case).

Are you saying you never tugged on Superman's cape?  Never even TRIED to pull the mask off the Lone Ranger?   

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...