"Farm" Championship Game - It was unexpected!

[KLAH316]

Thursday morning, I get a call from another umpire asking me to cover a game Friday night. I was told that it was a "Minors" game (12U). I get to the field and low and behold it was a Farm Game Championship (7-8yoa). The league president couldn't believe that I was working the game as usually 1st year umpires and teenagers are the ones that work this level. I can't even remember the last time I worked a game for kids this young.....

Anyways, another experienced adult was working the earlier game and decided to come out and work with me on my game so we had a two-man crew.

Bottom of the First inning, I'm PU. Batter hits one toward 2B and of course nobody could make the play. I hear the VM yelling from the dugout about the ball hititng the batters foot. Parents are yelling too. Once the merry-go-round finishes, I turn around an see the VM starting to walk out toward me still complaining about the play. I call TIME and call VM over to me. I face toward center field and tell him "Do not come running out here yelling at me. Next time you do, you will be watching the rest of the game from the parking lot." Now, before you all start on me - Because this was a Farm game where the coaches don't get alot of rope, I decided to try to educate him a bit for the future.

He continues to complain about the call and I tell him I didn't have a foul. He asks me "Do you think all my parents are lying to you?" I tell him that I don't care what the parents are saying, I didn't see the foul ball. He continues about the call and I finally shut him down and tell him "There is a proceedure here, are you requesting that I ask my partner for help on this call?". At that point, I see the light bulb pop up over his head and he says "Oh.... I forgot there was 2 of you. Can you ask for help?". I say sure walk out to my partner who is laughing by now. He says the ball hit the kid's foot. I call FOUL and reset everyone and play on.

In between innings, the VM comes back out and apologizes for acting the way he did. I explain again to him that I know they aren't used to adult umpires and there is a protocol for asking for appeals.

It was a good time working the diaper division! Sometimes it reminds you of why coaches/parents act the way they do at the older levels..... Nobody at the younger levels ever told them the right way!

[mw94]

You do know that proper mechanics is your partner should call foul immediately when he sees the ball hit the batter in the box .

[Jocko]

You do know that proper mechanics is your partner should call foul immediately when he sees the ball hit the batter in the box .

+1

[mstaylor]

I will actually tell a coach I am not asking my partner if he is experienced because if he had it he would have killed it. If he didn't kill it then he has already answered the question. In the OP, although the other guy may be "experienced" he may not be trained.

He continues to complain about the call and I tell him I didn't have a foul. He asks me "Do you think all my parents are lying to you?" I tell him that I don't care what the parents are saying, I didn't see the foul ball.

This is where the discussion ends, now walk away. If he wants to continue, this is where you educate him. You tell him the discussion is over, it is time to play ball. Tell him further discussion will end badly for him and then walk away. If he follows, get rid of him. I don't care it is only 7/8s, you have given him plenty, he now has to learn that no further discussion means exactly that. Just never, ever say,"One more word."

[Jocko]

i like to stare at em when they keep going. They eventually get the point and go away.

[KLAH316]

I will actually tell a coach I am not asking my partner if he is experienced because if he had it he would have killed it. If he didn't kill it then he has already answered the question. In the OP, although the other guy may be "experienced" he may not be trained.

He continues to complain about the call and I tell him I didn't have a foul. He asks me "Do you think all my parents are lying to you?" I tell him that I don't care what the parents are saying, I didn't see the foul ball.

This is where the discussion ends, now walk away. If he wants to continue, this is where you educate him. You tell him the discussion is over, it is time to play ball. Tell him further discussion will end badly for him and then walk away. If he follows, get rid of him. I don't care it is only 7/8s, you have given him plenty, he now has to learn that no further discussion means exactly that. Just never, ever say,"One more word."

I do know that he should have killed it. However since we never worked together before and he actually showed up during the plate meeting, we didn't get a chance to talk before the game so I went to him for what he saw. In the HTBT world, it all worked out and I actually think we may have a better educated coach on proper protocol now.....

Like I said earlier, due to the circumstances I gave him more rope than usual and it worked out.

[semper_fi_72]

Are we talking Little League here?

If so, what the Hell is the league doing holding Championship Games for a Division that is a Non-Competitive/Instructional Division.

That is teaching the Parents, Players and Coaches the wrong thing by sending out the message that it is Competitive.

I don't even know of any leagues that put Umpires on the field for Farm games period.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to call it.

[mstaylor]

I physically hold my hand up and tell them That's enough. You walk through the stop sign, not my problem.

[KLAH316]

Are we talking Little League here?

If so, what the Hell is the league doing holding Championship Games for a Division that is a Non-Competitive/Instructional Division.

That is teaching the Parents, Players and Coaches the wrong thing by sending out the message that it is Competitive.

I don't even know of any leagues that put Umpires on the field for Farm games period.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to call it.

It's not Little League, the league is mainly Club teams at all divisions..... This is first year Kid Pitch and the whole season is very competitive. This was actually the "IF" Game for the Championship......

[Rich Ives]

Are we talking Little League here?

If so, what the Hell is the league doing holding Championship Games for a Division that is a Non-Competitive/Instructional Division.

That is teaching the Parents, Players and Coaches the wrong thing by sending out the message that it is Competitive.

I don't even know of any leagues that put Umpires on the field for Farm games period.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to call it.

Probably not LL because LL has less than 40% market share.

We have some small independent leagues around where I live that do strange things. It doesn't surprise me that someone has a death-before-dishonor league for 7-8 yrar old kids.

[KLAH316]

Are we talking Little League here?

If so, what the Hell is the league doing holding Championship Games for a Division that is a Non-Competitive/Instructional Division.

That is teaching the Parents, Players and Coaches the wrong thing by sending out the message that it is Competitive.

I don't even know of any leagues that put Umpires on the field for Farm games period.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to call it.

Probably not LL because LL has less than 40% market share.

We have some small independent leagues around where I live that do strange things. It doesn't surprise me that someone has a death-before-dishonor league for 7-8 yrar old kids.

That's exactly what this is......

[mstaylor]

I will actually tell a coach I am not asking my partner if he is experienced because if he had it he would have killed it. If he didn't kill it then he has already answered the question. In the OP, although the other guy may be "experienced" he may not be trained.

He continues to complain about the call and I tell him I didn't have a foul. He asks me "Do you think all my parents are lying to you?" I tell him that I don't care what the parents are saying, I didn't see the foul ball.

This is where the discussion ends, now walk away. If he wants to continue, this is where you educate him. You tell him the discussion is over, it is time to play ball. Tell him further discussion will end badly for him and then walk away. If he follows, get rid of him. I don't care it is only 7/8s, you have given him plenty, he now has to learn that no further discussion means exactly that. Just never, ever say,"One more word."

I do know that he should have killed it. However since we never worked together before and he actually showed up during the plate meeting, we didn't get a chance to talk before the game so I went to him for what he saw. In the HTBT world, it all worked out and I actually think we may have a better educated coach on proper protocol now.....

Like I said earlier, due to the circumstances I gave him more rope than usual and it worked out.

I understand working with an unknown or inexperienced partner, you do things differently.

[eric0531]

Are we talking Little League here?

If so, what the Hell is the league doing holding Championship Games for a Division that is a Non-Competitive/Instructional Division.

That is teaching the Parents, Players and Coaches the wrong thing by sending out the message that it is Competitive.

I don't even know of any leagues that put Umpires on the field for Farm games period.

It is the responsibility of the coaches to call it.

Our league has always (at least as long as I have been around, so 12 years anyway) had a single elimination tournament at the end of the season for the Farm and Minors divisions. And our league does its best to get two-man crews of experienced umps to call those games. I did two of those games last week, one was pretty decent, the other not so much.