The Smitty at my Son's 9-10 Dixie game

[Cajuncubsfan]

This was at the first pitch. I knew after seeing this that I was going to have a hard time keeping my mouth shut.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l61/CajunCubsFan/467ed825.mp4

Believe it or not this kid told me he has been doing this for 8 years!!!!

To break down the game for you, my sons team was the "Braves" and the other team was the "Legends". The Braves were the home team. TOP 1, ends after 6 runs score. Braves do not score. TOP 2, ends after 10 runs. The Legends coach ran up the score to 16. The braves get 2 outs and this plate umpire goes and says something to the Legends coach and then to the Braves coach. I look at my watch and we are only 60 mins into a 90 min game, so we were not running out of time. Come to find out this plate umpire made arangments for the braves whole lineup to bat. (witch is fine with me if we are in the bottom of the 3rd but not the 2nd with 30 mins to go)

All the batters bat and there is still 15 mins to go and the coach doesn't know what to do so he gets all the players together and looks at the umpire for some sign of what to do "Take the Field" or is the game over (My sons coach isn't the best but he does try) umpire calls the game. I was so pissed!!! I ask the coach why the game was over and he said run rule. I say "The run rule applys to the 3rd inning and the home team must bat in order for that rule to be valid". He had a Dow in the head lites look and the game was over.

After the game I was talking to the coach about all this and the plate umpire walks up and asks the coach if he understand why he late all the kids bat. He says Yes and I say "What we don't understand is why you end a game after 2 innings with 15 mins left. He says "Well we didn't have time to start another long inning". I came unglued for a moment and them told him as a fellow umpire I was not going to do this in the parking lot of the ballpark and I left. Believe it or not this kid told me he has been doing this for 8 years!!!!

[UMP45]

Stay out of the parking lot! Very unprofessional. If you don't like what he did then go through the proper channels. You came off like any other whiney parent! ::' />

[boyinr]

^^^^+1. There is a simple explanations to answer all of your concerns. He has been doing this for 8 years because no cared about his development. I encourage you to get involved, set standards, provide training and support and be an example. If you can't do that then have the courtesy to stand on the sidelines quietly. Sorry but you started this.

[Cajuncubsfan]

Stay out of the parking lot! Very unprofessional. If you don't like what he did then go through the proper channels. You came off like any other whiney parent! <img src='http://umpire-empire.com/public/style_emoticons/default/bloed_2.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':<acronym title='Tournament Director'>TD</acronym>:' />

I DID NOT!!!! Go looking for him!!! He came over to us. I made my comments an then desided to shut up because he is a fellow umpire. I wanted to ask him "Where the hell is your hat, who the hell told you to setup behind the catcher like that and you need to study your rule book!!!"

[Cajuncubsfan]

^^^^+1. There is a simple explanations to answer all of your concerns. He has been doing this for 8 years because no cared about his development. I encourage you to get involved, set standards, provide training and support and be an example. If you can't do that then have the courtesy to stand on the sidelines quietly. Sorry but you started this.

I know I starte this, it interesting to see what y'all have to say.

I agree with you, the baseball politics around here are crazy. I do not umpire where my son plays because I don't like the way they do things. That being said I don't know what I was thinking putting my kid at there park. No I do, easy access to our travel paths and we only had one car so it was more convenient.

When I was assigning umpire at another Dixie ball park all the umpire had to attend rules meetings, they all had to register with the Dixie Louisiana, attend one clinic and take a test. I believe in look right and knowing the mechanics. I push myself and others to be better. The assigning umpire at my sons park must not feel the same way.

[cuban]

Why don't you try and help the guy get better instead of taking picture and making fun.

[UMP45]

My point is made! :hopmad:

[24sdad]

^^^^+1. There is a simple explanations to answer all of your concerns. He has been doing this for 8 years because no cared about his development. I encourage you to get involved, set standards, provide training and support and be an example. If you can't do that then have the courtesy to stand on the sidelines quietly. Sorry but you started this.

The bolded part is so true. A lot of these kids out there want to do a good job, but no one has ever taught them anything different. After eight years they become very good at doing things incorrectly. I help instruct with a local youth umpire organization my friend runs (PONY/LL) and he will ask me to work the bases when one of his kids has the plate. After the game, I will always ask, "you mind if I tell you a couple things?" They are attentive and some actually take notes. Most want to learn and do things correctly. These are the ones we need to reach out to. We all know the "guy" who has been butchering it for years and will never change because he knows he is right. Nothing you can do with him. But the one's who have never been taught the "right" way usually want to learn...taken em under your wing.

[mstaylor]

^^^^+1. There is a simple explanations to answer all of your concerns. He has been doing this for 8 years because no cared about his development. I encourage you to get involved, set standards, provide training and support and be an example. If you can't do that then have the courtesy to stand on the sidelines quietly. Sorry but you started this.

The bolded part is so true. A lot of these kids out there want to do a good job, but no one has ever taught them anything different. After eight years they become very good at doing things incorrectly. I help instruct with a local youth umpire organization my friend runs (PONY/LL) and he will ask me to work the bases when one of his kids has the plate. After the game, I will always ask, "you mind if I tell you a couple things?" They are attentive and some actually take notes. Most want to learn and do things correctly. These are the ones we need to reach out to. We all know the "guy" who has been butchering it for years and will never change because he knows he is right. Nothing you can do with him. But the one's who have never been taught the "right" way usually want to learn...taken em under your wing.

I concur, try to improve the guys that want to learn. I took a pretty good young guy that had a lot of bad habits and he was really getting good. The problem was his dad was the head Smitty. Been around for years, refused to learn or change. He undermined everything I taught him and turned right back into what he was before I started with him. Very frustrating.

[Cajuncubsfan]

I hear what you guys are saying. I have 8 games this week 2 at Dixie, 2 HS and 4 Little League Babe Ruth. When I'm working with a newer umpire I do try to teach thim I they want to learn. The ball park where my son is playing is not known for good umpires. This kid is the brother of another umpire who thinks he should be in the Majors or something. They all have chips on there shoulders. I will help people that want to get better, but I will not look like a punk and try to help someone that thinks he already knows everything.

I work a game Saturday with a kid who is on a local High School team. He is the back up catcher and he has caught for me before. He wants to learn and I did the best I could to teach. He did well even when the coachs got all over him a few times. I also tol him to learn as much as he could about umpiring because it will help him a lot when he makes varcity next year.

Any umpire that thinks he knows it all is a danger to himself and others! LOL ;-)

[mstaylor]

Any umpire that thinks he knows it all is a danger to himself and others! LOL ;-)

As my Dad always taught me, when you know all there is about what you are doing, quit, you just got dangerous.

[johnnyg08]

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

[johnnyg08]

Tough to say...if the kid doesn't know any better, I don't think that qualifies him as Smitty. In my mind a Smitty is a terrible umpire who thinks he has it all figured out but really has no clue.

[sdix00]

I find it tough to excuse anyone who has been doing anything for more than 2-3 years and has not yet learned the basics. What a waste of time.

[SanDiegoSteve]

I find it tough to excuse anyone who has been doing anything for more than 2-3 years and has not yet learned the basics. What a waste of time.

I agree 100%. I can't believe all the people ripping the forum member for posting the picture and video of this guy. I laughed so hard I almost peed my pants! I came out of the gate with zero training when I first got started, but I had at least played the game before, knew how umpires stand, knew how they called strike, ball, out, safe, fair and foul. If you don't know this before getting on the field, you shouldn't be umpiring. Sure, I receieved a lot of good training as I went along so I could learn and refine things, but my very first (baseball, as I had done some slow pitch softball) game was LL Majors, and someone remarked later that I had done a great job and inquired about how long I had been at it, and could not believe it when I said it was my very first game. I find it hard to believe that this umpire has been umpiring for 8 years and still looks like this back there. You mean NOBODY ever took this guy to the side and told him how horseSH*# he looks? Unbelievable!

[mstaylor]

There are different versions of Smittys. There are the average untrained volunteer out there doing the best he can. This is a good portion of youth umpires. There are guys hat attend clinics and learn nothing. They will go out there and do an OK job but never improve because they don't understand that they aren't learning. The third type is the worse kind. He wants to umpire just for the money or to go out and prove who he is. This is the guy that goes to a clinic and tries to prove the instructors wrong. A good clinician identifies him early and make him an example.

The first type we can teach and help. The second, maybe we can help if we can make them see they have their heart in the right place but they can improve. The third type, just try to stay clear of, they will pull you under the bus in a heart beat.

[carolinablue]

I wore my hat backwards for the first 6 or 7 games of my career. I didn't know no better until a veteran yelled from another field in the middle of a game to turn my hat around. Pissed me off, but I went directly home and ordered a plate hat. The only problem was I ordered the wrong thing. So when the beanie that I ordered came I gave it to the guy that yelled at me and turned my hat around for one more game. I got it right after that. What's worse, hat backwards or a beanie?

[SanDiegoSteve]

I wore my hat backwards for the first 6 or 7 games of my career. I didn't know no better until a veteran yelled from another field in the middle of a game to turn my hat around. Pissed me off, but I went directly home and ordered a plate hat. The only problem was I ordered the wrong thing. So when the beanie that I ordered came I gave it to the guy that yelled at me and turned my hat around for one more game. I got it right after that. What's worse, hat backwards or a beanie?

Unless you are Ed Montague, a beanie.:)

[mstaylor]

I was never a fan of the beanies but I know guys that have used them. I just buy eight seam and use them for everything.

[SanDiegoSteve]

^^^+1.

[T-Rav]

I use a black beanie when working the plate with my HSM, other than that it stays in the closet.

[mstaylor]

I use a black beanie when working the plate with my HSM, other than that it stays in the closet.

I will never have that problem, mask man forever. :)

[JaxRolo]

I use a black beanie when working the plate with my HSM, other than that it stays in the closet.

Yikes! Leave it in the closet. Always!!!! :wave:

[T-Rav]

It's dangerous to wear a 4 stitch hat with a HSM, the bill comes through the mask and if I take a foul ball all that energy will be transferred directly to my head.

[JaxRolo]

It's dangerous to wear a 4 stitch hat with a HSM, the bill comes through the mask and if I take a foul ball all that energy will be transferred directly to my head.

Why wear a hat at all?