Umpire confrences in LLWS

[carolinablue 196]

What's up with the six man umpire conventions on the field everytime a coach questions a call in the LLWS. Is LL requiring them to do this. The coaches are not asking for reviews, they are just questioning the calls. I saw six guys get together on a swinging strike three when the coach asked whether or not his batter got a piece of it. Yeah. I'm sure the LF guy is gonna overturn that call. Today on a not so close play at third they all got together on a coaches request. The plate umpire was telling them to wait for the guy from RF to get there. Every coach dad in the country will be wanting a conference on every call now.

Edited August 29, 2010 by carolinablue

[spiritumpa 11]

What's up with the six man umpire conventions on the field everytime a coach questions a call in the LLWS. Is LL requiring them to do this. The coaches are not asking for reviews, they are just questioning the calls. I saw six guys get together on a swinging strike three when the coach asked whether or not his batter got a piece of it. Yeah. I'm sure the LF guy is gonna overturn that call. Today on a not so close play at third they all got together on a coaches request. The plate umpire was telling them to wait for the guy from RF to get there. Every coach dad in the country will be wanting a conference on every call now.

because they work for free--with out pay--for the good of the kids--with out getting paid--for the love of the game--for n0 money---they can not afford to buy a par of balls to make a call on there own and stick with it :)

[semper_fi_72 515]

because they work for free--with out pay--for the good of the kids--with out getting paid--for the love of the game--for n0 money---they can not afford to buy a par of balls to make a call on there own and stick with it

I guess you missed the Hawaii - Texas game.

The one where the PU was a former MiLB Umpire.

Stop bashing the volunteer umpires.

Right, wrong or indifferent, they earned their way to the LLWS.

[carolinablue 196]

I haven't seen this in years past so I'm just wondering if they were told they had to confrence whenever a coach asked for it. Like LL is micro managing the umpires.

I definately have nothing against a volunteer umpire.

[zm1283 389]

I guess you missed the Hawaii - Texas game.

The one where the PU was a former MiLB Umpire.

Stop bashing the volunteer umpires.

Right, wrong or indifferent, they earned their way to the LLWS.

That's not what other LL umpires on this board and others have been saying. Some of them have been good, others have been really bad. I realize there are good and bad umpires at all levels of amateur baseball, but usually at your World Series you want to have all of the good ones working.

[willv28 10]

A few of them had clearly checked their self respect at the door. I don't mind replay in LL if they feel it is necessary. I to find distaste in and find unreasonable the way the did it. I would be offended if I were there. The umpires there have seemed to find that having your opinion trampled on by overturning plays that are clearly inconclusive or too close to have a valid reason to overturn it a good thing. Also, being made to look like an idiot by calling conferences on bang-bang plays for no reason just makes it look worse. Now they just do it because a coach disagrees. Helping kids doesn't mean losing your self respect. It's teaching them sportsmanship and how the real world works.

They're just furthering the coddle society we live in today.

[kylejt 761]

They're simply doing what they've been told to do.

If a coach wants to get a call reviewed by replay, it's going through the crew first. Now, why the left field umpire is getting involved on a bang-bang at first IS a good question, but this is new to everyone.

That said, why is the umpire in the replay booth wearing a uniform?

[willv28 10]

I hope they are just playing along with it for now if it's true what Keener says that they LIKE the system. Maybe we'll hear differently sometime after it's over. I'd imagine one or more think the system is entirely overblown and oversteps its intention. There is a lot seriously wrong with the system as implemented that being new is not a valid excuse for. Yet, it's being portrayed as flawless and great by the media.

[semper_fi_72 515]

They're simply doing what they've been told to do.

If a coach wants to get a call reviewed by replay, it's going through the crew first. Now, why the left field umpire is getting involved on a bang-bang at first IS a good question, but this is new to everyone.

That said, why is the umpire in the replay booth wearing a uniform?

I would bet that ESPN told him to when they planed the shot.

Look world we have a umpire that actually reviews the plays.

[JaxRolo 3,226]

I guess you missed the Hawaii - Texas game.

The one where the PU was a former MiLB Umpire.

Stop bashing the volunteer umpires.

Right, wrong or indifferent, they earned their way to the LLWS.

+1 yes there has been some bad calls and its ok to comment on those calls but please guys quit bashing on the umpires.

Like others have said on here I would never Umpire for free unless I was working the LLWS.

But paid or unpaid has nothing to do with their ability.

[Thunderheads 3,073]

It's got to be the direction of LL for the coach to go to the umpires, have them conference, then if he doesnt' like it, go to review.

That said, ..it's kind of silly, ....why don't you just call for a review and save the time on the 'umpire conference' .... yes?:D

[kylejt 761]

I'm sure the replay request is being done by the PU, so getting together is a must.

The HI manager seemed to get the process. Sometimes he'd just ask the umpire to get help, and not go for the replay. He knew how to work the systems, or perhaps he was stalling for time, so he could get confirmation from his fans in stands. That would have been the smart thing to do.

[catoblue 14]

I'm thinking that the way WP is currently micro-managing the umpires, and the over-use of conferences and IR... just might be why the umpiring has been sub-par this year. I know that I would not work under those conditions, and have a feeling that most competent LL umpires have too much self-respect to put up with that crap. When the UIC on the field is no longer in charge, why even bother being there.

We'll probably see the umpiring get progressively worse as time goes on and WP does more and more to undermine the umpires on the field. A couple years ago, I thought it would be cool to someday call a game at WP, but after what they've done to the game of baseball this year - no friggin way!