I was a jerk

[mstaylor]

LOL, yep... There was a 6 responce thread on it, in which my OP has the full length email report I sent to the UIC.

http://umpire-empire...__fromsearch__1

And now it is eleven.

[SAB_UIC_TX]

The only way any of this changes is by guys who care, who work to improve, who want to be the best umpire they can be and not some guy in an umpire uniform collecting a check, is to go out and be the example. Show coaches how to call a game, how to game manage, how to handle an argument. If you don't nothing will change and umpires the world over will still be lumped into being the red a$$ that doesn't know the rules when challenged.

O.K., now the fun stuff....hehehe....when I coached, and I should have been tossed a few times, I loved asking the umpire on judgement calls about their position when they were clearly out of position

[Don]

"Well I'm on the league board, and I'm telling you, I'm watching you both! You're asking for a protest!"

Toss him.

[mhb14]

I ran into a big problem with this dual role thing a couple of years ago. I was managing a 8th grade boys game. Not TOP level but pretty good. The umpires in this game were having a tough time. I did a good job of keeping my mouth shut until....

My team was in the field with two outs. We have a one run lead. Runners on 1st and 3rd. R1 takes off with the pitch. Batter hits a ground ball up the middle. Easy third out right? Well, the runner kicks (not accidentially) my fielders glove and the ball rolls into the outfield. No call. I call time, come out and ask the umpire if he saw the runner kick the glove. His response, "Yes but there is nothing wrong with that, the fielder has to get out of the way of the runner." I was taken a little aback by that because I had never heard anything so stupid in my life. I look at him and asked him, "Are you sure?" His response, "Yeah, I've been playing baseball my entire life and I know the rules" Here is the rest of the conversation:

Me: Are you sure?

Ump: About what?

Me: That you know the rules?

Ump: Like I said, I have played baseball my entire life"

Me: So, your telling me that the fielder doesn't have the right to field that ball when it's hit to him and the ball takes him to the baseline?

Ump: I'm not going to do this all day, if you aren't going to take the time to learn the rules, I suggest you stop coaching because you are doing the players a disservice.

(Well at this point, I am pissed)

Me: I would like to protest the game. Here is my $50. (At this point I turn around, stop, grab a rule book out of my back pocket, turn back around and throw it at his feet) You really might want to read this someday. Having a clue is the first step to being a good umpire.

I turned around to walk away. Obviously I was thrown out before I entered the dugout. Now, I'm not proud of what I did but if there is one thing I can't stand is umpires with attitudes who have no clue what the rules are. I can handle umpires with attitudes but you add in the fact that they don't know anything about the game...that upsets me.

I actually won the protest though...so that was nice.

[treydawgmt]

"Well I'm on the league board, and I'm telling you, I'm watching you both! You're asking for a protest!"

At this point I kind of just walked away.

In the 3rd inning, his team was getting whalloped, so he came out to pull his pitcher. As he takes the ball, he says to me: I'm playing this game under protest by the way."

I probably would have tossed him at the "I'm watching you" comment, just my thoughts. That brings the "you" into it, and he is essentially saying, "YOU SUCK," without using the words. He's gone, and never has a chance to "protest."

[Cajuncubsfan]

I have been having a semiler problem being a well behaved parent on the sidelines. My wife has to sit next to me and tell me to be quiet. She asked me this week why I'm so picky about the umpire and I told her "Look at him, he is behind the plate with no cap, cloths are to big, he sets up on the outside corner every pitch and he is not very vocal." she told me to shut up an sit there. We have had two games ended in the second inning with 10 mins left. The umpire ended them because he felt sorry for my sons team. This happened the other night and I came unglued. I told them they were robbing the the kids and that the game would not be an official game. They told me to take it up with the President of that age group. It's going to be a long year for me at that ball park!!!

[T-Rav]

I have been having a semiler problem being a well behaved parent on the sidelines. My wife has to sit next to me and tell me to be quiet. She asked me this week why I'm so picky about the umpire and I told her "Look at him, he is behind the plate with no cap, cloths are to big, he sets up on the outside corner every pitch and he is not very vocal." she told me to shut up an sit there. We have had two games ended in the second inning with 10 mins left. The umpire ended them because he felt sorry for my sons team. This happened the other night and I came unglued. I told them they were robbing the the kids and that the game would not be an official game. They told me to take it up with the President of that age group. It's going to be a long year for me at that ball park!!!

Sorry buddy but you are doing nothing but showing negative behavior at your child's ball game. Instead of being the loud mouth dad in the stands why not take a leadership position or mentor some of the umpires at your sons league? I know if I didn't have a experienced umpire help me when I was a volunteer than I would never have evolved into a better umpire.

Your only showing the other children on your sons team and your son that it's alright to be abusive towards the umpires just because they are bad, trust me at that age most kids think all umpires are bad and do not have a proper understanding on what makes an umpire good. After all this is a brotherhood and you should at-least try to help your fellow blues.

[Cajuncubsfan]

I have been having a semiler problem being a well behaved parent on the sidelines. My wife has to sit next to me and tell me to be quiet. She asked me this week why I'm so picky about the umpire and I told her "Look at him, he is behind the plate with no cap, cloths are to big, he sets up on the outside corner every pitch and he is not very vocal." she told me to shut up an sit there. We have had two games ended in the second inning with 10 mins left. The umpire ended them because he felt sorry for my sons team. This happened the other night and I came unglued. I told them they were robbing the the kids and that the game would not be an official game. They told me to take it up with the President of that age group. It's going to be a long year for me at that ball park!!!

Sorry buddy but you are doing nothing but showing negative behavior at your child's ball game. Instead of being the loud mouth dad in the stands why not take a leadership position or mentor some of the umpires at your sons league? I know if I didn't have a experienced umpire help me when I was a volunteer than I would never have evolved into a better umpire.

Your only showing the other children on your sons team and your son that it's alright to be abusive towards the umpires just because they are bad, trust me at that age most kids think all umpires are bad and do not have a proper understanding on what makes an umpire good. After all this is a brotherhood and you should at-least try to help your fellow blues.

I tried to approach them calmly and got additude. There very cocky and think they know it all. I AM not going to walk up to an umpire I do not know and offer advice. That would be a waste of time. I know the head umpire out there and he thinks he is Gods gift to umpires. He has passed that along. I owe the umpire who's ass I jumped an appology, so I'm going to use that as a chance to mend the fence and try to make a relashonship that would be conducive to helping him.

[SanDiegoSteve]

My son was playing in a 12U travel tournament this weekend and I was one of the coaches. I have coached for a few years and have been umpiring for 3 and am making the transition from coach to umpire. So, I have to fight the urge to speak up when something happens on the field that I don't agree with. That said, I don't ever argue or say a word about judgement calls. Strike zone? Not a peep. Close plays at the bases? No way. (In fact, my son was called out at first on a banger that I thought he beat out and I didn't utter a word). So, here we are in the second inning and we are on defense. I am watching our pitcher and from out of nowhere, "That's a balk!" Our head coach politely asks what he did and the answer is, "He took signs off the rubber." Here is where I get myself in trouble. I retort, "That's not a balk!" PU and BU's reply, "Yes, it is!" I tell the head coach he should protest to get the TD involved and he decides against it. So I let it go (for now).

Inning ends and I calmly walk up to BU (I know, I know) and tell him that taking signs off the rubber is not a balk because isn't listed in 8.05. He tells me to go back to the dugout and I tell him it's a "don't do that" and that it's a violation without a penalty and he tells me "One more word, and your gone." I was tempted to say "word" just to see what he would do, but I decide that I've taken it too far and to let it go. I apologized after the game to both umpires and that they did a great job (they did), but that it really isn't a balk and from one umpire to another, it's something that they should consider. They accept my apology and it's all good.

OK, so mentioning something in the past is a no no, and something I wouldn't put up with when I am working. Hey, I'm human. For those of you who are still in the dual role of coach and umpire, how hard do you find it to bite your tongue when an umpire applies a rule incorrectly?

Any umpire who ever says "one more word and you're gone" is obviously asking for trouble. The proper terminology is, of course, "That's enough!" There's the warning. It means the same thing, but allows them to say "Yes, sir" without getting tossed for saying another word. My dad used to tell me "One more peep out of you..." So I would naturally not be able to resist saying "Peep," and ended up with a very sore buttocks.

Oh, and if you keep arguing with umpires while coaching games, I'll send you a chunk of brie, and you can split it with Rich. :wow:

[yawetag]

I tried to approach them calmly and got additude. There very cocky and think they know it all.

Why are you approaching them in the first place? Put the shoe on the other foot: how do you feel when a parent says something to you?

[Cajuncubsfan]

I tried to approach them calmly and got additude. There very cocky and think they know it all.

Why are you approaching them in the first place? Put the shoe on the other foot: how do you feel when a parent says something to you?

I understand that and that's why I owe him and appology

[Welpe]

she told me to shut up an sit there.

You have a smart wife.

[mstaylor]

cajon, let me ask a question. What is your horsepower in your area? I know you have no standing in your son's league but what about other groups? My point is can you put together some clinics and try to get these guys there. That will do two things, improve them and bring your standing up in that league. What you can not do for any reason is sit in the stands and bad mouth the umpires. I work three sports and I would not do it in any sport I work, or even any I don't. I used to sit in the pressbox, it made me shut up and be useful at the same time.