Bad Game

[Jeff C.]

:(I just need to get this off my chest. My JV game on Monday sucked. I just sucked big time. I blew the DH re-entry rule and when I explained to the offended coach, the words I chose just fueled the fire:fuel: Fortunately he didn't press the issue too much. Oh yeah, I also effed up the courtesy runner rule. I lost the count once during the game. I'm only in my second year and I'm still a work in progress and I was partnered with the rawest of rookies. He tried hard, but didn't do much in rotations ( I was PU). I know I'm not where I want to get as far as experience. I knew going in that I would have to be like Avis and try harder. I'll file all this away and work harder to get better. By the way, if you think you know a rule and tend to gloss over it in the book, it can come back and bite your ASS! That's what happened on the DH ruling I made. Lesson learned. Ok, I just had to get that off my chest. Got games next week and I'm ready to go.

[DirtyDawg]

Sorry to hear about your game. Glad to see you are going to keep going at it. If anything, use this to fuel your fire to do better the next game.

[Umpire in Chief]

It happens to the best of us. You have to live and learn.

Make a learning experience out of it. But I will guarantee one thing: You'll never mess up on a DH re-entering.

As for having what you say to a coach come back to bite you, that happens too. Be as brief as possible when talking to a coach. Many are just waiting for the opportunity for you to say something wrong and pounce on you.

[MCLEOD36]

Jeff.

We all have bad games, remember too though we are arbiters. The times when I was trying to be "NICE" for lack of a better word on an explanation or a rule, ie prospective.... IT BIT ME... Shake it off, learn from it and move on... Like Warren says, wordsmiths tend to get pounced on...very quickly....if you are verbose

[JaxRolo]

As for having what you say to a coach come back to bite you, that happens too. Be as brief as possible when talking to a coach. Many are just waiting for the opportunity for you to say something wrong and pounce on you.

100% true statement. Keep it short. You are not going to change your ruling anyway.

[moblue]

I had my own bad JV game about three weeks ago. I also had to tackle 5 games over the next two days, so I used that game as my motivation to do better.

[yawetag]

I blew the DH re-entry rule and when I explained to the offended coach, the words I chose just fueled the fire:fuel: Fortunately he didn't press the issue too much. Oh yeah, I also effed up the courtesy runner rule. I lost the count once during the game.

Jeff, don't beat yourself up too badly. I think we've all lost the count every once in a while. The best thing is when you give the "what's the count" mechanic to the BU, he gives it, and you can see he's laughing on the inside.

If you don't mind, what were your problems on the DH and CR rules?

[tjthresh]

I the bed last night too.

It was my first plate game. I bet I left a ton of strikes on the field. I screwed up signals with my partner. I screwed up most my rotations. I just felt completly overwelmed. I've got 1 season of football officiation and 5 games as BU under my belt. I've never went into a game more nervous than I was last night. I feel horrible. :rollinglaugh:

[catoblue]

Well Jeff and TJ, here's what I see in your posts... You are both very serious about being good umpires, you're both fairly new at it, and you're both fairly hard on yourselves.

This tells me you're off to a great start!!!! You want to take pride in what you do, you want to learn and improve, and you're not too pig headed to admit that you had a bad game and are seeking advise. These are all things that umpires do to become good umpires - you're doing it, and I've got a hunch that by the end of the season, you guys will be a couple of the really good ones.

Warren said " Make a learning experience out of it". He's absolutely right. Every misinterpretation or blown call is an opportunity for you to learn and improve - take advantage of it and you'll go far.

[tjthresh]

I've got 1 season of football officiation

Did I really just say "officiation"?

It just keeps getting worse. :rollinglaugh:

[JaxRolo]

Did I really just say "officiation"?

It just keeps getting worse.

Don't worry I have several years of Football Officiation also!

Things get better with time.

[Jeff C.]

Jeff, don't beat yourself up too badly. I think we've all lost the count every once in a while. The best thing is when you give the "what's the count" mechanic to the BU, he gives it, and you can see he's laughing on the inside.

If you don't mind, what were your problems on the DH and CR rules?

Here's where I think I screwed up. Bottom 4 , DH bats and walks. PR comes in for DH. In the Top of 5, that PR becomes the new pitcher (DH was batting for pitcher). Here's where I screwed up. In bottom 4, courtesy runner came in for that pinch runner. Only problem is, that pinch runner hadn't pitched yet. He was an offensive sub at the time and had not played defense. So, should the DH been eliminated? I let the DH re-enter later in the same spot and bat for the pitcher. I know I got the CR runner wrong. And the words I chose to explain it to the offended just made it worse.

Thanks guys for letting me get that out. I am very passionate about this stuff and hate screwing the pooch on a rule. I don't have a need to be the best umpire ever, I just want everyone to know that when I'm on the field, they will get a competent umpire that cares. That's my goal and that's why I hustle and do my best. I'm way harder on myself than any rat could be. By the way in the same game, I actually had my first timing play. I was BU with 2 outs and there was a throw behind R2. R3 was trying to score. I called the out and my partner asked about the play. I said "Did the runner score before my out call? If he did, count the run." Got that right.

[yawetag]

Here's where I think I screwed up. Bottom 4 , DH bats and walks. PR comes in for DH. In the Top of 5, that PR becomes the new pitcher (DH was batting for pitcher). Here's where I screwed up. In bottom 4, courtesy runner came in for that pinch runner. Only problem is, that pinch runner hadn't pitched yet. He was an offensive sub at the time and had not played defense. So, should the DH been eliminated? I let the DH re-enter later in the same spot and bat for the pitcher. I know I got the CR runner wrong. And the words I chose to explain it to the offended just made it worse.

Let me see if I can walk through this. We're in the bottom of the 4th. Lineup card for the DH/P spot looks like this:

19/25 - Jones/Smith - P/DH

Smith walks. Pinch Runner Davis comes in for Smith. Your lineup card would now look (something) like this:

19/30 - Jones/Davis - P/DH

Later that inning, the spot comes back up (long inning). Davis hits, then you allow a Courtesy Runner for Davis.

If I'm correct, this is what I have:

First off, no courtesy runner. That is only for the actual pitcher and catcher. Secondly, the DH spot isn't eliminated UNTIL the DH enters the field to play. Therefore, once Davis (or the original Smith) enters the field (taking over for Jones), the DH spot is removed, and that spot has to now hit. The DH spot can not come back in the game.

[mstaylor]

I'm with with one clarification.

The DH spot can not come back in the game.

The DH himself can reenter, just the DH position is done.