Daniel

:17 :beerbang

Intended to be a rant; but really shows the current state of some umpire associations, including mine. It seems the past few years our guys are forgetting MORE than they ever learned about umpiring, including "easy" rules, interps, game management, mechanics, dress, etc. Our association hosts no clinics of its own, and our guys get a chance to go to A CLINIC each year. The same information is given from year to year, and the clinic itself is only about 1/2 day if figure in lunch/breaks. It is also the same three people teaching it. Umpires are learning very little, except for the newbies. There is also NO field work or mechanics. It is all classroom. I checked with our treasurer and our group has quite a bit of $$. I am going to suggest at our next meeting that we consider spending it to better our members, and bring in clinicians to hold SEVERAL rules and mechanics (actual field work) for our members. Truth is, I believe many of our guys NEED it. It frustrates me when I see simple situations and rule application that should be routine (many have been umpiring for 20 or more years!) that get botched every weekend. I believe if we held extensive clinics it would make our groups stronger. I also think written evaluations need to happen to give the guys motivation to do better. Anyone have any suggestions to help with this endeavor? I'd like to have something to present as far as a breakdown of what could be taught at each clinic, and how much time should be spent in those areas.

TD is retarded. For every team that thinks the "umpires suck" and don't want to come back, two more teams get in the tourney. I can't say I've gotten this from any TD, but once had a UIC who cared too much about how much the teams paid $$ to get into the tournament, so if we wanted to work games, we needed to keep them in the game. He was eventually set straight that how much the teams pay is NONE of our concern, and that they need to play by the rules, regardless.

Trouble is I still can't figure out what the other coach was arguing on the 2nd play at HP. It was clear and simple; not even close to a dropped ball. I was considering asking my partner until he made the "don't make it up comment". As far as that coach wanting to discuss it two innings later, his demeanor was more argumentative than wanting to understand the rule. :no:

JM, That is correct; and that is the "icing on the cake" explanation. His initial argument was "Why isn't she awarded home?", and our response answered that question more thoroughly, IMO, but I like your way of putting it since its simpler. KISS

JM: I know its a HTBT, but: 3. Just answer his question and send him on his way. When you visibly lose your patience, YOU are the one who looks bad. (I know this from personal experience - not suggesting that I am perfect in this regard.) He received his answer. Yes there is a rule. Then he, wanted to argue about such a silly misapplication. His "record" this game earned him a restriction after hearing this. On #1: 1. You (and your partner) need to brush up on the application of the obstruction rule - especially the interpretations regarding "post obstruction evidence". Sounds like you guys may have kicked this one. I do not follow you here. In our judgement R2 had third easily, but we believed would have been out at HP, without OBS. You go beyond the "protection", you are liable to be put out. That seems cut-n-dry to me. Unless baseball has some interp I'm not aware of that softball doesn't? Play at HP was not what I would consider "close".

Explain this one to me..

Tournament time again this weekend. Our group was working a double-elimination state SB tournament with some pretty good ball. Overnight (wee morning hours Sunday) we had rain showers, causing games on two of the fields to be pushed back up to 3 1/2 hours by the end of the day. I was to work three games yesterday, quarter, semi, and what would be the "if" game if the one team lost in the "championship" game, so I had to hang around. The championship was supposed to start at 6:30PM, but didn't get underway until 9:30PM, and I was cringing at the thought of starting a game at 11:00PM. It almost happened too, 6-5 game, BOT 7, R2&R3. Home team just couldn't get them in. I was relieved. Our semi-final in which I was PU was very heated. Visiting team had R1, and ball hit to the fence. R1 was waved around 3B and I ended up with a play at HP (3rd Out that inning). VHC starts yelling for his BR to stay out there, and begins arguing that his R1 was obstructed rounding 2nd. My partner motions in me and says he has obstruction, however, he only is protecting the runner to 3B which has been negated. As my partner starts explaining the call to VHC, one of their ACs starts in on the conversation and I step in and fend him off. It ended up very heated and my partner gave a very stern "THAT'S ENOUGH!" and VHC went back to the dugout. Two innings later, VHC comes up to me between innings and says "Well I still don't understand that obstruction call!" "Coach, we are not discussing that call from two innings ago." "I'm not arguing with you blue I just want clarification." "Coach, we explained that call very clearly and if you don't understand it by now that isn't my problem. Go back to your dugout." While his team is at bat the next half inning the other team makes defensive changes between pitches. At the end of that half inning, VHC comes out again. I'm thinking...what does he want now?. He asks me, "Blue, isn't there a rule that says the pitcher has 20 seconds to deliver the ball." (My blood is already starting to boil) I said yes, there is a rule against intentionally delaying. "Well didn't that defensive change take more than 20 seconds??" I was royally pi$$ed as he was being a total tool and at that point I restricted him to the dugout; not a peep the rest of the game. Now fast forward about an inning later, the home team was batting, and there was a passed ball with R3 coming home, and pitcher covering. Pitcher gets the ball and tags R3 on the leg, who slides short of HP, and I called the runner out. Home team HC now comes down the 3B line and begins arguing the ball was dropped. He insists I should get help before I started explaining what happened. HC finally says "Don't make it up!!" (EJ?) I told him this conversation is over and I'm not getting help. Games ends, and as we get to the parking lot, one of the moms from the visiting team confronts my partner & I (gets in his face actually) telling us we need to learn the rules. My partner made the sin of responding back, and then she said something REALLY stupid, don't remember what it was now, but I lost it and began laughing loud enough for her to hear. As we're about 30ft or so away from her she yells back "Oh you 4-eyed ba$tard laugh again in my face would you??" TD & UIC went looking for the offender as that kind of behavior isn't tolerated, but could not find her. Overall, a very intense night.

Eeek! :wow:

Wow, what a cluster. I believe you took way too much $hit here. Others chime in here, but I would have F1 would have been gone here: I just did, you're ejected. F2 would have gone here: Sarcastic cheap-shot comments aren't needed. I would have never asked the coach about "having an issue with it" - I could care less what they think. Also never put yourself in a situation where you are giving an ultimatum - i.e. I will eject you if...

WOW! :rollinglaugh:

Well he didn't want to discuss it. He goes, "Its over and its done with." I gave up trying to talk about it. He's middle-aged guy, been umpiring 20+ years now, but is probably one of the worst guys to work with in our group. He has a very crude personality, or as he told me his told him at work - he is very "coarse". One of the guys in our assoc. works D-I ball and does training for our group has openly given up on trying to help him become a better umpire. The only reason he gets games is because he's in politically speaking and we need umpires.

Scheduled for a two-day tournament this weekend, 7 games. I really only had fun ONE game on Sunday, the rest I just didn't want to be there for. Saturday we were on a field with a very short backstop, dirt like sand, and a surface that plained upward behind the catcher. It was enough to make me feel like I was setup too high above the catcher. Most of the catchers weren't too great either, and I struggled through the day. FF to yesterday, Sunday. I have the plate for game two of three. Two excellent teams playing each other. A few innings in, I covered third on a 1st to 3rd deal, and called her out at third. As I am heading back to the plate, 1B coach starts coming down the line, insisting that I need to "get help" on that. I said to him, loud enough for their HC to hear, "Are you the head coach?" He replies, while pointing at 3B coach, "No that's the head coach". I told him "Ok, then you need to go back to your box and remain quiet." He walks away, I walk way, then my dumba$$ of a partner calls TIME and wants to talk. I thought maybe something happened so I go to him "Ok what's up?" He goes "Just try to be more professional. Send him back to his box but leave out all the extras." I told him we will talk after the game. I just walk away thinking WTF. Keep in mind, this is coming from a guy who sits with the fans before the game starts, and has nothing to offer about being "more professional". Between half innings, the AC asked if he was allowed to discuss judgement calls. I told him no and he said thank you blue. Later we had a banger at HP where I asked to see the ball, and called the runner out. I knew 1B coach wanted to say something but kept his mouth shut and walked back to the dugout. This approach to handling ACs DOES work.

Even tho this is old, did anyone notice that he's wearing an the old-style shirt while the rest of his crew has the new ones one?

Don't know if this has ever been posted...BUT...I'm not sure how this isn't an ejection...even at this level. His ass should have been $hitcanned @ 0:08. Refer to the first 30 seconds of the video.

This weekend I paired up with a pretty good partner, who works baseball & softball, from everything to youth to HS ball. He had the dish for a late game yesterday, and had been flawless mechanically and appearance wise (your poster child per say) all day until.... F1 throws a low outside pitch just off the plate, and my partner was so concentrated on the pitch, he didn't even see the batter swing at it, and called an emphatic "Ball!". There is brief silence followed by everyone staring at him. He says to the catcher - "It was outside!" Finally the batter says - "Blue - but I swung at it!" I couldn't keep a straight face the rest of the game.

WTF?

Ball was hit between 2nd & F6. F6 wasn't even close to the ball, nor was attempting to field it. As R2 was running to 3B, F6 took a few steps toward 3B & they collided.

Had two 16U games last night, pretty decent. HS coaches on one of the teams. 100 degrees at game time though... First game I was PU, went off without a hitch, except me drenched in my own sweat. Second game my partner, who looked very sharply dressed (much better than I - made me jelly want to loose about 30 lbs ) unfortunately wasn't having a good night in the heat and all, but made it through like a champ! Early in the second game, we had R2 and a grounder hit between 2B & SS. R2 and F6 (who was running AWAY from the ball?) collided and I had OBS. I heard from whom I thought was the 3B coach saying "Interference! Inteference! Wait no Obstruction!", so after the play was over I turned to him and said "Yes I have the obstruction, your runner gets third." He looks at me "Huh?" and then I realize it was the buckethead DC behind him who said it. DC then comes out wanting "Obstruction". I said I called obstruction - on your fielder, who was not fielding the ball. Then he argues that the runner needs to avoid the fielder and some other BS; none of which was relavent because the fielder wasn't fielding the ball. He still doesn't like my answer and tells me to "Get help." I ask what do you want me to get help on. He says "On the call you're supposed to make!" My partner had what I did.

Solo U10 REC league game. RH Batter check-swings a ball into the dirt that rolls about 2ft up the 3B line. (Fair territory) What does the batter decide to do? KICK IT (only something that would happen at this age level) into the infield! I did a double take and killed it. I called BR out and almost immediately starting hearing it from the batting teams coaches - the old "They're just learning!! How can you call the batter out??" Sigh. OC comes out and wants an explaination, then begins aruging that the ball was in foul territory, etc. I once again explain what happened and OC retorted with "OH well thats two calls now that were wrong that went against our team". That coach was restricted to the bench. As soon as I did that, one of their other bench coaches jumps up to the dugout fence and screams "OOH BLUE, I don't think YOU get to make THOSE rules!!". "Oh yeah? Whoosh!" Then he just stands there in the dugout and yells "Come get your buddies to come get me!". I put both teams in their dugout and the other coaches got him out of there thankfully. What a night. :TD:

Has anyone ever figured out the origins of the "hands are part of the bat myth?" As it does just about every weekend (tournaments) I do, this past weekend was no different. 2 strikes & two outs. Inside pitch hits the batters hands on a swing attempt. OC comes out and agrees that it should be "dead", but hands are part of the bat and the batter should still be batting. A simultaneous "NO!" from both my partner & I end the discussion. Of course he begins explaining to his players that this is a "gray area". I often wonder (if you read the book) how one could EVER draw that rule myth. I honestly believe that this rule is one of the clearest ever written. If you swing at a pitched ball that hits you, dead ball, strike! Its THAT easy. :smachhead:

Discuss. Catch/No catch? http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22197665&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_22197665&v=3

Let me first start off by saying that our association president is in his early 70s, and has done everything all the way up through D-1 ball, including several championships. He doesn't umpire much anymore because of his age, but continues to be one of our evaluators, assignors and serves as assoc. president. (Quite the busy man!) Every time you talk to him...you never know if he's serious about something or just just trying to with you. He can say the stupidest things so seriously. That's just his personality and he's cool like that. It has occurred to me that I've had more ejections than anyone. (only enough to count on one hand, but I still lead the group! ) Either A. I get the rats more than anyone or B. Others have serious game management issues). I have not gotten through a season without at least 1, since I started umpiring 6 years ago. So next weekend we have a tournament coming up and called around to see who could work this weekend. (70+ team tournament!) On the phone he says two things to me, in the most serious way: A. I don't want you ejecting anybody without going through me first. and B. Would you mind if I assigned you with XX.?? After I brief pause I go....ummmm uhhhh whaaat? He goes I'm just f'ing with you and starts cracking up. I told him you better be or I'm coming over there (he lives near me) and kicking some a$$. He heard about one guy in our group I was assigned with (the xx) who dresses poorly and doesn't want to do a good job. I had reported this guy. The sad part is this guy does HS ball and still gets games. I can't figure this guy out some days! :D

Thursday night I was working solo for a 12U game, and I must say, it was by far the best game I've ever had working in this league. Full seven innings, in an hour & thirty to boot. Here's how it ended. Bot. 7, tied game. Bases loaded, NO outs. Line drive back to F1 - one out. F1 fires to F3 to nail R1 - two out. But guess who came into score and end the game! Then DC appeals that R3 left early. There is no way in hell I seen R3's tag up, and never will in that situation. I came up with a strong "SAFE". Game over. I was not going to make THAT call. :fuel: