VERY BAD baseball game....

[KLAH316]

Today I was PU for an 8th Grade Baseball Game. VERY BAD BASEBALL!!!

The two schools are from a small town just south of me. You can tell the economy has taken it's toll on this school district. None of the kids uniforms matched. Visiting team was 15 minutes late arriving so we started late. There were no "Team Hats", kids were wearing whatever, etc. It was the first game for this school district I worked this year and I immediately knew it was going to be one of those days.... Home Team had one coach. He never left the dugout, never said a word to the players no matter how bad they were playing or how many errors they made. The Visitors coaches were a tad better but not much. They won 15-2 in 6 painful innings. It just seemed like NOBODY cared what happened, parents/players/coaches.

Anyways, now that I set the stage, my question to all of you is:

Do you find that you get "non-chalant" when you have to call games like this?? I could feel my mechanics getting sloppy by the 4th inning. I asked my partner and he said he didn't see anything wrong, everything looked good. I could just tell that my "A-Game" was slipping as the painful innings went by. I definately don't like feeling that way and it was the first time that happened to me.

Thoughts?

[semper_fi_72]

The quality of baseball being played will impact your ability to work the game.

Those games suck and you just do what you have to do to get through it the best you can and don't worry about it.

Put it behind you.

[yawetag]

Aside from your question: How deep are you in the season? I could see teams not having uniforms in the first week of the season, especially in lower-level games.

As for your question, I definitely feel it. However, these are the types of games you can try new things. Do you have a plate stance you've wanted to try? How about trying 2SF instead of 90°? Maybe you've thought about altering your "ready" position to watch a play. These are the times it's great to try it out. Obviously, don't try them all at the same time.

[johnnyg08]

Today I was PU for an 8th Grade Baseball Game. VERY BAD BASEBALL!!!

The two schools are from a small town just south of me. You can tell the economy has taken it's toll on this school district. None of the kids uniforms matched. Visiting team was 15 minutes late arriving so we started late. There were no "Team Hats", kids were wearing whatever, etc. It was the first game for this school district I worked this year and I immediately knew it was going to be one of those days.... Home Team had one coach. He never left the dugout, never said a word to the players no matter how bad they were playing or how many errors they made. The Visitors coaches were a tad better but not much. They won 15-2 in 6 painful innings. It just seemed like NOBODY cared what happened, parents/players/coaches.

Anyways, now that I set the stage, my question to all of you is:

Do you find that you get "non-chalant" when you have to call games like this?? I could feel my mechanics getting sloppy by the 4th inning. I asked my partner and he said he didn't see anything wrong, everything looked good. I could just tell that my "A-Game" was slipping as the painful innings went by. I definately don't like feeling that way and it was the first time that happened to me.

Thoughts?

Lucky that you had a partner for that fun one. I work games just like that at higher levels. You can't become complacent, because as soon as you screw up or look lazy, who do you think they're going to blame?

[ukce1861]

Yeah, I had a game like that last Friday (and almost as bad Saturday and Tuesday). These kinds of games are tough - especially on the bases. On the plate, you at least have to focus every pitch, but like Andrew said, I try and use these games to work on my game; plate stance, tracking, footwork, etc. It's harder on the bases, but I still try and be a lot more conscious of my footwork and positioning. If nothing else, it helps you focus on the game because you just know that something's going to blow up on you and you'll be surprised...

[JaxRolo]

It sucks. Had a game like that last night 16-0

Varsity Game. Home team was a catholic school. Catcher was a 7th grader who did and excellent job catching but no arm. The rest of the team sucked.

[Pops]

I think we all get bad games like this once in a while. After the first couple of innings, it gets really hard to focus. I start feeling overly relaxed which can lead to a blown call. Your reputation is at stake, so take each inning as if it's a 3-2 playoff game.

The advice about trying a new mechanic is great, and I'll be doing that the next time I find myself in this type of sloppy game.

[Welpe]

Anyways, now that I set the stage, my question to all of you is:

Do you find that you get "non-chalant" when you have to call games like this??

Yes it can certainly happen and it becomes one of the biggest challenges in ugly blow out games like this. Calling games like this can actually be more difficult than calling the close, well played games because not only do you have the potential to run into more TWPs but you also have to stay vigilant to not fall asleep.

If you catch yourself slipping, find a way to get back into the zone. Whether that is being very deliberate in your mechanics or something else you can do, you have to find a way. The good news is you recognized you were doing it.

[Replacematt]

I would look at it this way...

Kids are there because they want to play. They aren't there because they think their parents want them to be the next #1 draft pick, or their coaches are trying to keep their jobs.

You probably got all the good things about youth baseball with the maturity of shaving-age players.

[Stan W.]

when i got through my game journal, and I see the word FOCUS....i can pretty much guarantee its lower level poor baseball...........its a constant mantra I use to keep from letting my game slip.....

[UmpJM]

KLAH,

First, let me say that I feel your pain.

Over time, I have come to hold the opinion that a "really bad game" is largely independent of the "level" of play. I once worked a 10U game that was simply outstanding baseball, and one of the "worst" games I ever worked was a D-III game. (OK, it was a JV game, but still by the time a kid gets to college and "makes the team" you'd think he'd have half a clue about how to play baseball.)

So, the natural tendency is to get in the "when is this torture going to end" frame of mind - I've certainly been there. But, what I've learned is that just makes time stand still. So, I endorse suggestions like others have made about trying new things and such.

What works for me is to start treating the game like I'm calling an MLB or NCAA World Series game. Make every movement, every call, every mechanic, your timing, everything simply - perfect. Establish a mood of infinite patience in your mind and look forward to the next play that's even worse than the worst you've seen so far in the game - and then enjoy it when it happens. For me, that makes the time go quicker. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

The last thing you want to do is let the quality of the play drag down the quality of your umpiring. That's the road to perdition.

JM

[Replacematt]

KLAH,

First, let me say that I feel your pain.

Over time, I have come to hold the opinion that a "really bad game" is largely independent of the "level" of play. I once worked a 10U game that was simply outstanding baseball, and one of the "worst" games I ever worked was a D-III game. (OK, it was a JV game, but still by the time a kid gets to college and "makes the team" you'd think he'd have half a clue about how to play baseball.)

So, the natural tendency is to get in the "when is this torture going to end" frame of mind - I've certainly been there. But, what I've learned is that just makes time stand still. So, I endorse suggestions like others have made about trying new things and such.

What works for me is to start treating the game like I'm calling an MLB or NCAA World Series game. Make every movement, every call, every mechanic, your timing, everything simply - perfect. Establish a mood of infinite patience in your mind and look forward to the next play that's even worse than the worst you've seen so far in the game - and then enjoy it when it happens. For me, that makes the time go quicker. It's not easy, but it's worth it.

The last thing you want to do is let the quality of the play drag down the quality of your umpiring. That's the road to perdition.

JM

If I may, what you are saying is not "What are they going to screw up next," but, "When they screw up next, I'm ready."

[Texarkana]

Today I was PU for an 8th Grade Baseball Game. VERY BAD BASEBALL!!!

The two schools are from a small town just south of me. You can tell the economy has taken it's toll on this school district. None of the kids uniforms matched. Visiting team was 15 minutes late arriving so we started late. There were no "Team Hats", kids were wearing whatever, etc. It was the first game for this school district I worked this year and I immediately knew it was going to be one of those days.... Home Team had one coach. He never left the dugout, never said a word to the players no matter how bad they were playing or how many errors they made. The Visitors coaches were a tad better but not much. They won 15-2 in 6 painful innings. It just seemed like NOBODY cared what happened, parents/players/coaches.

Anyways, now that I set the stage, my question to all of you is:

Do you find that you get "non-chalant" when you have to call games like this?? I could feel my mechanics getting sloppy by the 4th inning. I asked my partner and he said he didn't see anything wrong, everything looked good. I could just tell that my "A-Game" was slipping as the painful innings went by. I definately don't like feeling that way and it was the first time that happened to me.

Thoughts?

I guess another way of looking at this would be that you had kids who wanted to play baseball. Economic repressed, non-matching uniforms, not the best field conditions etc. But they were there because they wanted to play ball. Probably no kids that had money for 300 dolar bats, private lessons etc. But at least they had the opportunity to play ball and as an umpire, I owe it to them to do just a good as job for them as I would two private school powerhouses who had the best of everything. I think games like this prepare you for a "big" playoff game down the road. Work on keeping focussed 100% of the time. If you can continue to focuss during a game like this, you will be ready for the one down the road where every call is put under a microscope. I heard some good ideas about working on mechanics etc. If you had a newer guy with you, a good opportunity to train them also.

[KLAH316]

Thanks all for the words of advice/wisdom. I will remember all this the next time I find myself doing "Bad Baseball". I think it also didn't help that my partner told me he wasn't feeling good and he was less than "into it" as well.

I will find something to work on and really re-focus myself.

That's why I love this site!!! Never have too much experience to learn something!!

[mstaylor]

I had a guy tell me years ago to go back to basics. Concentrate on your timing, your mechanics, everything that makes you a good umpire. You can also project possible plays, either to make sure where you are going, or seeing possible screwy plays so you don't get caught with your pants down. I like the idea of trying new stances or mechanics, just make sure you aren't affecting the game.

[grayhawk]

I wish I had read this thread before my game Saturday. It was my first LL game of the season. Majors game that ended something like 16-2. I called 31 innings of baseball last week (HS and Pony) before that game and had an absolute ball doing it. Then I do this game and was constantly reminded how bad the catchers are in LL. It's amazing how difficult a bad catcher can make it for an umpire, especially when you have good timing. SO MANY pitches just butchered by the catchers that night. In the 4th inning, the catcher for the visitors dropped 5 piches in a row to start the inning - every one of them near the zone.

Anyway, great thread with excellent suggestions. I have another LL game on Saturday so I will likely have a chance to try some of these out.

[JaxRolo]

Today. I had a Varsity game. It was more like a bad jv team playing a bad 12u team.