Compliment from a pitcher!

[LMSANS]

I worked a double header today - adult league, mostly college age guys that aren't in college. OBR, decent games 2x7.

Anyway, I had the dish in the first game. The V F1 was a tall lefty that threw the ball well and mixed up his pitches. He left after 6 with a shutout. Game ends, V wins. Next game my partner has the dish and is at the V dugout getting some baseballs. He comes to me and said that the pitcher from the first game told him he was impressed with my zone and my calls. I thought that's nice.

skip to the end of the 2nd game, we are at our cars getting changed to go home and the tall lefty comes over to me and tells me he just wanted to shake my hand. He said I was one of the best umpires he has ever pitched to. While he didn't agree with all my calls, he said he could see why I would call them. I was speechless. I just said thanks.

How do you deal with that?

[Kyle_Stevens]

Thanks would probably be all I could say, too. I have had some 'nice job, blue' from a couple of player and a couple of fans, but nothing like you haveing him come up to you.

You know, he might be 'sugaring' you up for the next time you have the dish when he throws! I'm kidding, umpires need a little ego boost every once in a while.

[Umpire in Chief]

Thats greaat! I few weeks ago I had a guy come up to me and tell me and say thanks for calling the low and outside pitches. I honestly didn't know how to take it. I just said no problem. My partner said my zone was fine.

[strike3scott]

I think you handled it correctly. Gracious and polite. I do not put alot of stock in winner compliments even though it's nice to get. I once got to my car after a team that should have and was supposed to win - didn't. The coach came to me....I'm fully expecting some crap at this point....he started with how consistent and great the zone was...blahblah. At the plate, I consider it to be the best compliment to be called "consistent" but with a hittable zone. But I will say, LMSANS, the warm fuzzies are nice to get!

[HoosierBlue]

mm .

[HoosierBlue]

nn .

[catoblue]

Umping local LL games, my best, and most frequent complement is being the first guy the coach calls when looking to line up an ump. Right after that, comes visiting coaches asking if I'd be willing to travel to call their home games - after they lost a game I called!

As a guy that also coaches, the most important thing I look for in an umpire is consistency. If an ump has a huge strike zone or a tiny strike zone - I don't care as long as that strike zone is the same for both teams and doesn't change as the game goes on. Pitchers and hitters can make adjustments if the ump is consistent, but if he's inconsistent, everyone gets frustrated, and the game stops being fun.

[mstaylor]

I had a college coach from a school a couple hours away ask me if I would be interested in calling his home games. I laughed and said the local guys may not appreciate it. He said he was serious, that his guys were bad. I won't say who covered their games at the time but anybody that has been on the net for any length of time would reconize a couple of the guys. I told him I appreciated it but probably not.

[Stan W.]

whats the old saying?..........

If you believe them when they say you are great, you have to believe them when they say you suck........

but seriously, its nice to be appreciated for when you do a good job and I dont want anyone to think you cant take an honest compliment.........

Im sure all of us have found satisfaction in knowing we did a good job even though we might get crap from coaches and fans....... this job is difficult and can have thankless moments.....we need to find the majority of our satisfaction from doing the job well.........

Edited September 4, 2008 by Stan W.