SteveJ

Here's my rule.... I would have told the opposing coach to return to his dugout (and he would have done so) before you and I continued our conversation. After speaking with you, IF I had some information that the opposing coach needed to know I would have walked over to his dugout and had a conversation with him.

My main concern is that he is standing in front of the opposing teams dugout. That could greatly increase the opportunity for an exchange of "unsportsmanlike" words or a physical altercation could break out. Then I have to hold up my game and resolve the issue(s). It can be a real mess! Plus it's against the rules!

4 years or 15 years means nothing. Some guys are just natural at umpiring and are better with 4-years experience than some who have been umpiring forever. Some people care more about the game than others and that helps make them better umpires. As a trainer/evaluator for my league I see that all of the time. Also very few youth/HS umpires have ever been trained in proper 3-man or 4-man mechanics. So your comment doesn't surprise me at all. Calling "balls/strikes" is an art. While some people never master it some people look like they were born to be behind the plate, even with just a couple of years experience. You make your reputation behind the plate and lose it on bases (especially in 2-man mechanics). To me personally working the bases is much more difficult that working the plate. Quality of training is where it begins and lack of training is where it ends. An example, In Arizona the AIA offers no training that I am aware of. Unlike states like Alabama where district and state clinics are mandatory (or at least they were years ago). So where do the "new" umpires go for proper training? Here in southern Arizona there's a local HS umpire's association called the Tucson Baseball Umpires Association (TBUA). The TBUA attempts to train their umpires but it is very minimal. Luckily, there is a large youth league here called the Kino Baseball League (KBL) that offers extensive training utilizing classroom, field clinics, scrimmages, and live games throughout the year. BUT a majority of the local youth/HS umpires won't invest 4 weekends per year and $40 (for all 4 weekends, to help cover the instructor's gas) to become better. Let me add that after the 4-weekends of training the trainees are given the opportunity to work a charity 12U tournament where they can work with their mentors (plus make money) and if they can umpire they will be assigned lower-level KBL games (advancing as their evaluations indicate). I can ramble on for hours when it comes to umpire training.... Believe me, I feel your frustration!

The coach's first comment in my OP was a negative comment directed personally to me. That's a lot different than some chirping from the dugout. How would you have handled that comment? So let's say that I'm going to use your method of handling "generic" chirping. I would first look at the coach? Second I would say "knock it off"? If it continues I would do what? Do you do all of this while the ball is "live"? Here's how I handle non-personal comments from the dugout. When I first hear the comments I too look over at the dugout. I looking to see if I can identify who is making the comments. Assuming that the coach is aware that making comments like that is against the rules and also assuming that he is paying attention to the fact that I have held up action to look over at his dugout, he should beware of three things; (1) I heard the comments, (2) I am looking for who is responsible (ultimately the coach is responsible for it), and (3) He needs to make sure that it stops. IF I feel that if a warning is necessary, I call "Time" (because I don't want to turn my attention away from possible "live ball" action), I remove my mask, take a couple of steps toward the dugout and say something like this, "Jim, you need to knock that off". By using Jim's name I now have Jim's attention and by removing my mask Jim has no doubt that I am looking at him because he can see my eyes. If it doesn't stop the next, and final step, is an ejection. I rarely have an ejection.... With the exception noted below. Recently the league I work for has started running 10U to 12U seasons. We had a lot of "club ball" teams join up. As part of the leagues umpire development program our less experienced officials worked these games with a more experienced official there to guide them, all part of their training. As one of the trainer/evaluators I worked at least 2 games in these age ranges every weekend and observed many others. I found that the coaches, parents, and players were on average the rudest, loudest, least baseball knowledgeable people that I had ever worked with. Our league is conducted under strict rules pertaining to conduct. Teams, coaches, and players are fined, suspended and even banned from the league if warranted. I (and all of the experienced umpires) had more ejections during this first season then we have in a long time. It took a few weeks but slowly everyone's behavior began to improve. By the end of their first season games were running much more smoothly.

I've been taught that once you warn a coach, with or without your mask on, the next step is to eject him if the problem continues. I do not understand the difference between warnings with or without your mask being on.

High schools around here uses RefPay. The non-high school league I work for uses auto-deposit. The money for the games I work this week will show up in my checking account next week. That's for all levels of play from 10U up to college.

While I agree those comments need to be addressed, neither rises any where near the level of an EJ (by themselves, and depending on what else might have been happening in the game) While I agree with you 100% on the comment in the third inning I usually tend to be a little less tolerant when a coach yells out of his dugout, loud enough to be heard by everyone, questioning my integrity. Sure, it's not up there with comments like "You suck" but it is still personal. I never make it personal and I expect the coaches to act the same way. I think that one of the problems in baseball (and other sports) is a lack of respect toward the officials. Disrespect comes from players and parents taught to be disrespectful by the actions of coaches (as well as what they see on TV). I guess it's a different world now where being disrespected by coaches, parents, and players is expected and tolerated.

IMHO It looks like he might have gone past "the best angle". But the direction he moved in is what I would have done.

As of the 128th Instant Replay Review of the 2014 MLB Regular Season. Umpires are now 75/128 (.586 Affirmation Rate) in Instant Replay Reviews during the 2014 MLB season. The video shows an out of shape umpire not getting into proper position and making his call on run (or waddle in his case) when as we all know you should be stopped/set.

Yes Depends on the code (by rule -- but it's a good practice at the levels we do) OBR 5.11 After the ball is dead, play shall be resumed when the pitcher takes his place on the pitcher’s plate with a new ball or the same ball in his possession and the plate umpire calls “Play.†The plate umpire shall call “Play†as soon as the pitcher takes his place on his plate with the ball in his possession. NCAA SECTION 6. After a dead ball, play resumes when the pitcher engages the rubber with possession of the ball, the batter assumes his position in the batter’s box, and the umpire calls or signals “Play.†FED 5-1 ART 4 After a dead ball, the ball becomes live when held by the pitcher in a legal pitching position, provided the pitcher has engaged the pitcher’s plate, the batter and catcher are in their respective boxes, and the umpire calls “Play†and gives the appropriate signal.

I see

Sorry, I disagree..... Living here in Sunny AZ, I am never without my Oakleys and put them on my hat working or not, when I don't feel I need them. I have plenty of instances where I've taken them off when the clouds roll in only to have to put them right back on half an inning later. Pretty common sight around here. I also work in southern AZ. I never put my sun glasses on my hat. I stick one of the steams between my belt and my pant behind me. They never fall off or get in the way.

Like I said in my OP, normally the first comment he made would have gotten him tossed but then it would have been over for him while I would have still been out there suffering. He was so frustrated with his team that it was comical. I've never seen him nor heard of him acting that way before. Every error that his team made, and there were numerous errors, would bring out moans and cries like a wounded animal. You HTBT to appreciate it. I didn't want him to go...... I was having 2 much fun watching him.

Some of the schools around here do not have the resources to have freshman baseball teams so a local league has started one. It’s kind of like club ball for high school. It’s usually very competitive. They also have, later on in the year a JV/Var league. Yesterday I worked two games. The first one was a 9-7 slug-fest. The second game…well…it wasn’t as close. Unfortunately I was working the plate. The team that had won the first game against a different team was up 22-0 in the 2nd inning when I hear from the coach in the losing teams dugout, “Come on Steve you are calling those pitches strikes for the other teamâ€. I’ve known this coach for a few seasons and have never had to eject him before (I don’t think that he has ever been pounded so badly) so I call time, take my mask off, walk toward the dugout and say, “Jim, you really don’t want to go there.†He quickly says, “I’m sorry Steve†and shuts up. There have been times when I have ejected a coach for saying what he did to me but for some reason I had just started to enjoy Jim’s misery. I know that I have worked enough of Jim’s games that he knows that I have a pretty liberal strike zone at this level and if there’s any way possible I call every pitch a strike. I just love the sound of that word… Strike! I like the sound of “Out†better but strike is pretty nice too. Third inning, 26-1, Jim says, “That team has no class!†If it’s loud enough for me to hear it then my bet is that the other side heard it too. So I call “time†again, mask off, walk closer to Jim and say, “knock it off Jimâ€. Jim says, “I know, I know†and just hangs his head. This is really starting to be fun…I’m sorry, I’ll work my issues out with my shrink on Monday. Bottom of 4, score only 28-1, Jim says to me, “Steve, can this be our last at bat?†I want to grab Big Jim and hug him. “Yes, Jim, it can beâ€. Four innings in 2:15……..

Of course... and don't forget F2, he needs to be ready.

I will add that along with the advice already given you might want to look at your distance from the play. Sometimes you can get too close to the play and miss things happening due to tunnel vision. That might be what the coach meant when he said "you have to watch the whole play". We all know that there are no more knowledgeable coaches than 12U club team coaches......

I worked a college scrimmage with a AAA umpire who also works MLB as a vacation/replacement official. He asked me and the other 2 guys about how we called this type of play in high school/college. I think that it's going to take a while before the MLB guys become comfortable calling the new rule (assuming it stays around).

Pulled-foot & swipe-tag. This is something that I like to pregame with my partner, especially one I'm haven't worked with before or very often. We might agree that I will have the tag to the 45' line and beyond that my partner may point to me and ask "Did he have the tag?" if he wasn't sure. Or on a pulled foot, "Steve did he have the bag?" As for me personally when I am on bases I like to make my own calls and wait for the coach to ask me to go for help. In one of my recent HS games I had a close play at first, it looked to me like the first baseman might have pulled his foot stretching for the ball so I called & signaled "Safe". The coach asked for time then came to me, in a very polite manor, and asked me if I would go for help. He walked off toward the dugout while and I got together with my partner. My only question was, "Did he pull his foot?" and the answer was "no" so I changed my call. Seems like I was the only one at the ballpark that thought he had pulled his foot

That's a personal thing. If it was me, I would seek him out before the game while I am still in street clothes (I do this every game in the HS regular season to let them know I have arrived and to fill out any vouchers/paperwork anyway) and tell him that you researched the rule and that he was correct. It will show him a couple of things: 1. That you are a conscientious umpire who takes pride in knowing the rules. 2. That you are human and willing to admit when you are wrong. I think he gains respect for you if you approach him in the right way. JMHO. I agree

You could have protested. Rule misinterpretation that an appeal could happen with a dead ball. And it should be a winner. Would it? The appel was rejected, so there is no out to reverse. Time was out, so the runner couldn't advance, nothing to fix there. Effectively, what the umpire did was gratuitously provide information to the defense that meant they didn't need to actually appeal. So granting the protest would put the game exactly where it was anyway -- no score, no out, and the defense already knowing that there was no point in doing a proper appeal. I confess to not being an expert on baseball protests, but I thought they would only be granted if they would change something -- seems like this is just an umpire mistake that can't be fixed. If an umpire(s) makes a mistake by not applying a rule properly then there can be grounds for a protest. That's why all umpires need to study and understand the rules...their intent and how to apply them properly.

If your partner is missing obvious calls there are three things that he should look at, positioning, getting set, and timing. One or more of those things is off and I've probably noticed that by the time the 3rd kicked called comes. I'm not one to provide harsh critiques, especially to a 15-year vet, but I will speak with him, during the game. First I'll want to know if he's feeling okay. Maybe he's sick or injured and can't do the job. Second I'll tell him what I'm seeing, "You need to slow your calls down" or "You are not getting the angle of those calls", or whatever I see. If I'm seeing his calls on the bases from the plate area better than he is and he's a 15-year vet then something is wrong today! Maybe it is time for your partner to have a heart to heart talk with himself.... I am 63 years old. In great health (as far as I know), but I am not the umpire, physically, that I was when I was in years gone by. I can't get to the 45' line anymore at the college level. I am having to "cheat" when I come inside from the "A" in 2-man at the college level. I always told myself that when I think that my abilities to umpire at higher levels begins to decrease, due to Father Time, I would work lower levels of ball. And I have done just that. So now my "big" games are the Arizona intra-squad games that Coach Lopez is kind enough to let me work. I get to experience D1 baseball without the pressure that working that level brings. Sometimes we just have to realize that time kicks our a** if we live long enough.

I'll have to try that sometime. Tell a coach to "bench themself". It's kind of like R. Lee Ermey when he tells Private Pyle to choke himself because he can't stop smiling. I know this is off subject..... bluejerred, how long have you worked for the KCOA? Reason I asked is because I worked 3 seasons for them 7 or 8 years ago....maybe it was it 9 years ago.

Maybe I don't understand the concept of this thread, but the neighborhood play will soon be a thing of the past. It should not be called in amateur ball at all, and fewer pro umpires are calling it, since they started enforcing the INT restrictions at 2B. Also, I make pitchers stop in the set regardless of whether there are runners. In my experience, if they don't stop then, they won't stop with runners (and the coach will tell me that "he always does that!"). What are we supposed to be discussing here? I think that TV is killing the "neighborhood play" at 2B. I have stopped calling it. I am guilty of not making F1 stop when there's no runners on. Most of the time they stop. I have recently started calling some of my leagues younger kid's games and I have had to teach myself to call a huge strike zone, especially the high pitches...AKA "The Zone of Least Resistance". At first that caused me problems when I worked the plate in a 12U game, or two, on one day and the next day I work the plate for a HS Var or college game.

I won't comment on the day your partner was having - it speaks for itself. But you had an obvious out at 1st, he comes to you for help and you chew him out (on the field!) and tell him you had nothing? Maybe he was having a bad day because he was working alone. Some partner (you, not him). Sorry the Chief is correct I would have done the same or worse. If you don't this smitty will be like that the rest of the game. The teams deserve better. I don't care how bad he is. During the game, I have my partner's back. After the game is a different story. I think that if one of my partners has missed 3 obvious calls and then yelled across the field to me for help, I wouldn't wait until after the game to speak with him. I would certainly give him what I had on the play that he was asking help on but not by yelling across the field to one another. Sure, I always have my partners back but he needs to do his job properly. One bad member on the crew then the entire crew is perceived as being bad.

No one forces you to do it.....