BigBlue4u

Strike Zone, Whatever you do, be sure to include some sessions on game management. In my many years of experience, this is the most overlooked part of umpire training. Newly trained umpires are fair at mechanics and rules, but, because of the lack of game management sessions, they have no idea how to handle coaches, or de-escalating game situations.

#2 Beerguy55, that's a pretty funny response. But, to answer the OP, I don't answer statements. If it's a question I will answer. I have found the fastest way to end a conversation that involves a rule interpretation is to say, "Coach if you think I'm wrong, play the game under protest. Otherwise, we are playing ball. What do you want to do?"

Another good response would be, "What are you doing out here?" And, just answer the coach's question. " I didn't think the pitch hit him, but I changed the call because I could see the batter was in pain." If the coach persists, "Coach I explained my call. If you don't immediately return to the dugout, you'll be ejected for delaying the game." I've always tried to use an ejection as a last resort. But, sometimes, based on the coach's attitude and demeanor, that last resort can come pretty fast.

Stick to coaching.

FWIW, I would rather miss calling a balk than calling a balk that isn't there. One of the all-time worst balk calls I've ever seen occurred in the 2005 NCAA Super Regional between Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State. (Coached by Pat Murphy) As I recall, it was the bottom of the ninth and Fullerton had runners at second and third with one out in a tie game. The obvious call was to intentionally walk the batter to set up a force at any base. Unfortunately, the ASU pitcher was called for a balk (borderline call at best) for not coming to a complete stop on the third wide pitch, thus scoring the winning run from third. The NCAA coordinator at the time, Dave Yeast, danced around like he was on American Bandstand as he tried to defend the call on ESPN the next day. All is well that ends well though, as ASU won the SR and advanced to the CWS.

Especially if he was wearing it while it was being stamped.

dumbdumb..nice work. That must have taken a lot of time to put that post together.

And, here is a perfect example of why a lot of content on the internet is pure B.S. 2026 MLB Division Series Umpire Crews For the 2026 Division Series, MLB has assigned the following crew chiefs and their crews: 1. Tampa Bay Rays (AL East) vs. New York Yankees (AL Wild Card) Crew Chief: Dan Bellino Crew: Dan Bellino, Shane Livensparger, Ben May, Jeremie Rehak, D.J. Reyburn, Ryan Wills Wikipedia 2. Cleveland Guardians (AL Central) vs. Chicago White Sox (AL Wild Card) Crew Chief: Todd Tichenor Crew: Cory Blaser, Vic Carapazza, Tom Hanahan, Gabe Morales, Todd Tichenor, Jansen Visconti Wikipedia 3. Milwaukee Brewers (NL Central) vs. San Diego Padres (NL Wild Card) Crew Chief: Alfonso Márquez Crew: CB Bucknor, David Rackley, Lance Barrett, Jeremie Rehak, Nestor Ceja, Adam Beck img.mlbstatic.com 4. Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West) vs. Atlanta Braves (NL East) Crew Chief: James Hoye Crew: Andy Fletcher, Laz Diaz, Will Little, Cory Blaser, Brian O’Nora, Jansen Visconti img.mlbstatic.com These crews will handle the four best-of-five Division Series matchups, with the opening games scheduled for Saturday, October 3, 2026, and the series running through Saturday, October 10, 2026 MLB.

Here is the list of the 2026 buyouts. Anyone want to guess how many will be working the post season? · C.B. Bucknor . · Laz Diaz · Brian O’Nora · Lance Barksdale · Marvin Hudson · Tony Randazzo · Andy Fletcher

There is also a real-life consideration that needs to be made. Right or wrong, the way a catcher catches a borderline pitch can be a major factor in calling a pitch a strike. If a pitch comes in at the batter's knees, and the catcher stops the pitch at ground level, by rule that's a strike. However, that probably won't be acceptable to the players. A good catcher will extend his glove as far as possible and likely be rewarded with a strike call. Current LA Angels manager Curt Suzuki was a master at this while catching at Cal State Fullerton. On corner pitches, he would roll his glove into the zone and get a lot of strikes just by not jerking his glove into the strike zone.

Unusual, however I believe a case could be made that, in his case, he is not committed to pitch until he moves his left foot which then becomes part of his pitching motion. If, later, he started swinging his arms, then delivered a pitch, I would call a balk because he changed his delivery making the swinging of his arms a part of his delivery motion.

Is this from the same source that gave us this: Why Umpires Put Their Hands in Their Pockets In baseball, umpires sometimes place one or both hands in their pockets during a game for practical, safety, and positioning reasons. 1. Stability and consistency in judging pitches When umpires are in the catcher’s box, they often use their hands to “lock in” for the pitch. Putting a hand in a pocket can help them maintain a steady base, keep their height and eye level consistent for every pitch, and avoid shifting their weight too much Reddit. 2. Protection from foul balls A hand in a pocket can shield the wrist or forearm from being struck by a foul tip or errant pitch, especially in high-speed situations Reddit+1. 3. Communication and positioning cues In some cases, umpires use hand placement to signal to the catcher or other players. For example, placing a hand on the catcher’s back can help the catcher know where the umpire is and can also serve as a cue if the catcher starts to move backward Calendar-Canada.ca. 4. Comfort and routine For experienced umpires, this is a familiar, comfortable position that allows them to focus on the game without overthinking small movements. It’s a subtle but consistent part of their officiating style. 5. Safety in high-contact situations In youth or amateur baseball, umpires may avoid touching players during live action, but in professional play, this hand-in-pocket stance can be a quick, non-intrusive way to maintain control and safety. In short, umpires put their hands in their pockets to stay steady, protect themselves, communicate, and maintain a consistent, professional stance while making calls Reddit+1.

JSam21, Thanks for the explanation and the link.

Does anyone know why it is taking so long for replays in televised LL Regional playoff games? I've seen a number of replays where the first replay clearly shows what happened, yet it takes several minutes to come to a decision.

For your partner, umpiring 101. If you are going to brush off the plate without calling "time," know what the runners are doing and who has the ball and what is he/she doing.