umpire78

Big Red - This veteran (AF, no combat) WELCOMES YOU BACK HOME & THANKS YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. The pix are great. Glad you made it home safe and sound. It's getting to be SO COMPETITIVE on the baseball/softball diamonds, you may NEED a flak vest and a weapon in the near future, just to call a game. So, trade in your camo for the blue. It's time to get busy.

ROFL. Gotta remember that one. :nod:

Soapbox - "POLITICS" infects just about every aspect of our lives, and sadly even baseball/softball or any other recreational sport. So and so knows so and so, whatshisface knows whatsherface, etc. I've always told the various associations I've been in that anyone can come watch me umpire at any time and ask me any questions about why I did "this" or why I did "that." I WELCOME scrutiny on my performance. I stopped a men's SP game one time because of lightning. Ten minutes in to the delay, one player meets me behind the fence and asks: "Are you an umpire or a F***ING weatherman?" Gritting my teeth, I said: "I'm an umpire who is responsible for YOUR safety and as long as there is lightning in the area, WE ARE NOT PLAYING." I must admit I did get a little loud. This IDIOT wanted to play with lightning in the area.

As Tom Hanks would tell you: "THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!" Getting hit by a pitched ball or one that is fouled back WHERE YOU ARE PROTECTED isn't a problem. But, sometimes that ball has "eyes," has YOUR name on it and it will find you. At least on the thigh, it hit muscle. Try getting one where you're NOT protected and it's all bone. It throbs like the dickens.

I agree. Some guys don't have the right "attitude" when it comes to umpiring. I know I can work with just about anybody, but there have been some "partners" in my past where I'd have been happy to do the game by myself rather than work with them. Case in point: Slo-pitch softball. My partner is HP, I'm on the bases. Batter hits one to the gap. I break in, turn, watch him touch 1B and going on to second. I look up to see where the ball is and the RF had walked through a gap in the fence and brought the ball back in play. My partner never called "DEAD BALL!" By this time, he had touched second and was on his way to 3rd. So, I called "DEAD BALL!" and sent him back to second (ground rule double). What does my partner do? HE SENDS HIM TO 3RD. I went up to him and said: "Jack, that's a ground-rule double. You just gave him a ground-rule TRIPLE." He would not change his call. We finished the game, by man, I was torqued. We DID discuss this at our next umpire's meeting and he was "corrected."

In the A position, there is only ONE reason to go to your partner on a call at 1B - if F3 is pulled off the bag and makes a swipe tag. If you're not sure if he did or didn't tag the BR, delay your call, point to and ask your partner: "Did he tag him?" Hopefully, your partner is watching. When he lets you know, you make the appropriate call. And, a warning was appropriate as well. I umped by the credo: "Warn if you can, eject if you must." Some ejections are automatic - coach/player makes physical contact with you, threatens you, etc. We each have our own "do's and don'ts" when we umpire. That has to be as consistent as our calling balls and strikes. Some umps have a hair trigger, others are more tolerant, perhaps TOO tolerant at times. You have to find a happy medium.

Good job, Jeremy. You did the right thing by ejecting him. It's not a "big deal" if THEY are doing it, but let the other team try it and suddenly, it IS a big deal. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways. I can't stand cheaters, either. It is our job to enforce the rules fairly and cheaters, when caught, pay the price.

How many times have we all heard this during a game? I have to chuckle when they say it to me, because I look at it this way: This IDIOT will go away. When he gets to his next game, THAT umpire will be given the mantle of "YOU ARE THE WORST UMPIRE, EVER!!" this fan, player, manager has ever seen. So, don't take it personally. In fact, chuckle visibly if you can.

You CAN warn, but my rule of thumb was if it can be heard by the crowd, it's time for you to leave NOW.

The thing is: you learned the lesson. Sometimes, they come the hard way (like your example). Over a 32 year amateur career, I've learned my lessons, too and, I NEVER STOPPED LEARNING, which made me a better umpire.

What age group are we talking here? If we're talking HS or older, instead of me confronting him directly, I'd get his catcher to help. I might quietly say to the catcher: "You might want to go out and calm him down because, if he does that again, he won't finish this game." That usually gets the point across.

Both. With the kids its just the unpredictability of it all. I prefer the plate because on the bases I end up spinning around in circles because the obvious play to you...... well there is no obvious play. Agree. You have to be ready for ANY play at ANY base. I know, I coach t-ball.

Or, you could just follow the rule. Follow the rule: Well, we have OBR, NCAA, NFHS, LL, and probably more I have not mentioned. There has to be MORE uniformity in the rules (and their applications) among these organizations.

I had a LL Minor League game back in 2005 on a new field. Things were going smoothly until the last half of the 5th inning. It was a blowout and the losing team manager said: "We'll finish the inning and stop the game." So, I'm standing there, facing the infield and suddenly, I hear: "ZZZZAAAAPPPPP!" I turn around and the transformer is giving off sparks left and right. Then, the ballfield goes dark. Standing there, I said: "Ball game." NO argument ensued.

You are right, you probably WON'T see that again. I had a game in The Netherlands back in the early 80s where we almost stopped a game-in-progress due to fog. On the field as the base umpire, I could NOT see any of the outfielders. We stopped the game and threw them some fly balls. Every one was caught. I walked off the field and went to the TOP of the first base stands and, lo and behold, the fog was field-level only. We decided that play should continue. First and only time I've had to deal with fog.

A number of years ago, I had a LL Majors game. The pitcher threw the pitch, it bounced on the grass, the batter swung at it and hit a clean single to right. The look on his face was priceless. The crowd was stunned and quiet, not sure if that was legal or not. It was. I did 8 years of LL Baseball and in all that time, I've NEVER had that happen in one of my games. This kid is now in his twenty's, lives down the road from us and every time I talk to him, I bring that up and his face just lights up. I don't think either of us will ever forget it. :)

I'll do the same thing. In a girl's 13-under Slo-pitch league (yes, sofball, cousin to baseball), if the batter-runner gets hit in the helmet with a thrown ball, I'll call "Time!" and slowly go down the line, talk to the coach and the player to see if she's alright. If she states she is, I'll slowly walk back behind homeplate and signal/call "Play."

There is NOTHING in the rule book that states that the pitcher must be "set" to pitch before the batter steps in the batter's box. However, it is TRADITIONAL that the batter steps in the batter's box FIRST, THEN the pitcher can toe the rubber and become set. That being said, I could have stopped this "dance" in a heartbeat. First, I would have called my partner in to discuss my plan. Second, I would call BOTH managers out and said: "This is how we are going to settle this: I will call 'batter up.' He steps in to whichever box he chooses, but he stays there. I will then call 'Play' to the pitcher. He can wear the glove on the hand he chooses, but it stays on that hand. This is a baseball game, not a dance. Let's go." And, if a manager should choose to "discuss" it further, he runs the risk of being ejected because I JUST SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR THEM.

No. No HS games, mainly rec & church leagues. I DID have a church league team TRY to sneak in an "altered bat" during last season. A CHURCH LEAGUE TEAM!!! :wow:

If you stay with umpiring, over the years you develop "boundaries" of what you will - and won't - accept as conduct/behavior on the field of games you are umpiring. It has been my experience to AVOID the following two types of umpires: 1. The "old guy" who's umpired 20, 30, or 40 years and says: "I've never ejected anybody from a game," and, 2. The "young hotshot" who says: "I've been umpiring two years and have ejected 20 people." The first guy HAD to have come across players, coaches, managers who DESERVED to be ejected, but HE backed down. Needless to say, he was walked all over during his career. The second guy is LOOKING for people to eject. He won't last long as an umpire. I look at it this way: It is the PLAYER'S game. It is the MANAGER'S team. But, when I walk on the field and until I step off it, it is MY field. I let the player's play the game and I let the manager's manage the players. I'm there to enforce the rules impartially and equally and I bust my butt on EVERY play. Do I get EVERY play right? No. But, I don't "plant" myself behind the catcher to make a call at 2nd base, either. Overall, I've had a GOOD career and have thoroughly enjoyed umpiring.

You did the right thing, You first warned him and he wouldn't let it go. See ya, coach.

sdix00 - I agree completely. I don't break anything up. I stand back and observe "who" does "what" so I can get it in the ejection report for the Board/League to take further action on.

lol. Are you referring to the age of the players or the way the coaches acted??

I've gone to my partner perhaps 5 times in 32 years. And, I have changed MY call. I don't "cede" my call to my partner, I just ask for more information (foot off the bag, etc), then I either stick with my original call OR change it. I want to get the play right and, if my partner can help me, great.

My ideal time is 30 minutes prior to gametime. That gives me plenty of time to check out the field and each team's equipment. If we are late starting, it's not because I'm not there.