Bad Game?

[poppyfor3]

Has anyone had a bad game that no one notices? (except possibly your partner.) I just did. Walkathon doubleheader in high heat. Neither pitcher can find home plate. I've got the bases and for 3 innings, the only real action is wiping sweat from my eyes. FINALLY, something happens--grounder to F4 and base runner bumps into F4. Feels like 3 hours before I call Int. Neither coach says word one.

Mad as hell at myself. Spent the rest of the night screaming at myself---Focus,focus,focus. Over hustled the rest of the night as penance. Stupid,but I did it. Game ends and both coaches and some fans compliment us on a great game.

Post game and PU and I both agree not our finest hour. He felt his zone was off all night. So we're both disappointed and everyone else is satisfied--go figure.

[txump81]

Post game and PU and I both agree not our finest hour. He felt his zone was off all night. So we're both disappointed and everyone else is satisfied--go figure.

Only in the eyes of an umpire. No one got angry at a bad call, so according to "the populace" you called a good game. Only in America!!!:P

[Umpire in Chief]

I had an what was supposed to be an eval game last night but I don't think anything will be written. It was just an unremarkable game in virtually every aspect. It was a Legion game b/t 2 teams who could give a crap. None of the pitchers for either team could hit my partner's expanded zone.

I had a situation where R1 steals second. Generally you hear the he's going or something and when I get that I start cheating. Well this time I only knew the kid was stealing b/c the catcher tries to gun him down (unsuccessfully) I can generally atleast hear the runners stepps or grunting/breathing as he's breaking. This time nothing. I was caught a bit off a bit by it and was ticked at myself.

Later w/ R1 & R2 BR hits a grounder to F5 who steps on the bag for the easy out then tries for the force at first. The throw pulls F3 off the bag and I give my "Safe! Off the bag!" but my mechanics were just a bit off. I swiped my arms to the outfield when F3 came off toards home. I was giving myself the "Come on Warren your not a GD rookie. I'm sure that looked really good." But I'm sure it was only myself and my partner who noticed.

I was doing all I could to keep myself in the game. Neither of the 2 teams even cared if they were there or not.

[BrianC14]

Has anyone had a bad game that no one notices? (except possibly your partner.) I just did. Walkathon doubleheader in high heat. Neither pitcher can find home plate. I've got the bases and for 3 innings, the only real action is wiping sweat from my eyes. FINALLY, something happens--grounder to F4 and base runner bumps into F4. Feels like 3 hours before I call Int. Neither coach says word one.

Mad as hell at myself. Spent the rest of the night screaming at myself---Focus,focus,focus. Over hustled the rest of the night as penance. Stupid,but I did it. Game ends and both coaches and some fans compliment us on a great game.

Post game and PU and I both agree not our finest hour. He felt his zone was off all night. So we're both disappointed and everyone else is satisfied--go figure.

Those are the toughest games to umpire, no doubt. On plays like the INT play you describe, it's almost as though you have to remind yourself that you're calling a baseball game (since so little of it resembles baseball up to that point) :)

[mstaylor]

Last week I was babysitting a FP softball game,12/13s. Bad blood and threats of throwing at girl's heads and other stupid stuff. The program director and I were there as gunslingers for the crowd. The PU kept screaming foul ball on balls that were out over the top or over the side fences. I explained that was a No S@@T foul. The director asked what I meant so I explained. By the end of the game it was driving her nuts too. :)

[cardinalfan]

When I leave thinking we didn't do our best but nobody noticed, I just consider it a gift. Sooner or later, it will even out. You'll have what you thought was a good game and both teams will be on your butt!

[JaxRolo]

On another thread I mention that I did a T-Ball game last night.

I blew a call but no one noticed but me.

Batter hit the ball bounced on home plate. Ball went straight up and landed in the Fair portion of the Batter's box, catcher grabbed it. I yelled "Foul". Could have kicked myself.

No one said a word. Kept playing.

[kcfan102]

Has anyone had a bad game that no one notices? (except possibly your partner.) I just did. Walkathon doubleheader in high heat. Neither pitcher can find home plate. I've got the bases and for 3 innings, the only real action is wiping sweat from my eyes. FINALLY, something happens--grounder to F4 and base runner bumps into F4. Feels like 3 hours before I call Int. Neither coach says word one.

Mad as hell at myself. Spent the rest of the night screaming at myself---Focus,focus,focus. Over hustled the rest of the night as penance. Stupid,but I did it. Game ends and both coaches and some fans compliment us on a great game.

Post game and PU and I both agree not our finest hour. He felt his zone was off all night. So we're both disappointed and everyone else is satisfied--go figure.

I had one about two weeks ago. It was at the start of a tournament and I really hadn't gotten into the "zone" yet, so to speak. I was PU and I thought my footwork was just awful and I thought my zone was terrible. About halfway through I said to myself "Alright, enough with this lazy stuff, let's do this right." I put an abnormal amount of attention on my feet and head, and it didn't help. I was mad at myself as I was still not in the baseball zone even after the game got over. Both teams told me good game as we were walking off the field. Soooo...

:HS

[jjb]

On another thread I mention that I did a T-Ball game last night.

I blew a call but no one noticed but me.

Batter hit the ball bounced on home plate. Ball went straight up and landed in the Fair portion of the Batter's box, catcher grabbed it. I yelled "Foul". Could have kicked myself.

No one said a word. Kept playing.

Of course no one said a word. Everybody (at that level) knows a batted ball that hits the plate is a foul ball:HS

[BrianC14]

Is it me or are there an unusual number of instances of umpires at - T-Ball games?

Is this for real? T-Ball needs umpires?

[catoblue]

Is it me or are there an unusual number of instances of umpires at - T-Ball games?

Is this for real? T-Ball needs umpires?

yeah, the numbers seem unusually high to me too, has me :D

[Umpire in Chief]

I haven't done a t-Ball game but have had more machine pitch this year than ever before.:notworthy:

[Stan W.]

Post game and PU and I both agree not our finest hour. He felt his zone was off all night. So we're both disappointed and everyone else is satisfied--go figure.

I will put a differing spin on your game, if you came away from a game dissatisfied with your performance while no one else was dissatisfied, then I am going to tell you that you are on the right track....

it says to me that you are working hard to do a good job and trying to do it with the proper professionalism and mechanics.....

it says to me you have mastered the basics and are working on the little things that separate you from the pack...its the little details that builds the umpire....

It says to me you have stepped beyond the boundaries of the average umpire and are striving to get better.....

It says to me you care about doing a good job....

It says to me your the kind of partner I want to have.....

good job.....

Edited June 10, 2010 by Stan W.
lost thought

[BrianC14]

I will put a differing spin on your game, if you came away from a game dissatisfied with your performance while no one else was dissatisfied, then I am going to tell you that you are on the right track....

it says to me that you are working hard to do a good job and trying to do it with the proper professionalism and mechanics.....

It says to me you have stepped beyond the boundaries of the average umpire and are striving to get better.....

It says to me you care about doing a good job....

It says to me your the kind of partner I want to have.....

good job.....

+1 !!! :notworthy:

[Dragon29]

Is it me or are there an unusual number of instances of umpires at - T-Ball games?

Is this for real? T-Ball needs umpires?

1 umpire on 1 T-ball game is too many umpires on T-ball games. Even if it's only a parent volunteer.

WTF are you umpiring anyway? I can't imagine.

As for bad games no-one notices - had one in last years' LL post season. I felt out of it - bad strike zone, poor mechanics - never comfortable. In the 3rd inning, my partner (a 15 year old I've been mentoring for a year or two) comes in and tells me that both the District UIC & Lead Evaluator (a tough but fair guy who I always learn something from) are in the stands. I laughed 'cause I thought he saw how badly I was struggling and was yanking my chain.

After the game, the District UIC & Lead Evaluator meet us on our way to the parking lot and proceed to tell both of us how good we looked. I know they were mostly there to evaluate my young partner, but I was shocked they had nothing for me, even complimenting my zone & game management - ?

Conversely, last night - me & my partner both have great games. His zone is great and doesn't move an inch all night; I'm in good position for everything on the bases, lots of close calls, none of which I had any doubt of all night - and by the 5th inning we have nothing but chirping from the dugouts and complaints from the stands.

Go figure.