Can you just watch a game anymore?

[hill2933]

Took my son to our local high school freshman game tonight. Typical small town school where every kid goes to same school and everyone knows everyone else. My son hopes to be playing there in two years and several kids he has played with are on the team now. Son is very baseball smart and loves to discuss rules and situations. This game got ugly quickly with players chirping at each other right off the bat. At one point VT F2 turns and yells into home team dugout "scoreboard!" F2 was about three feet from PU and nothing was said. Son tells me that catcher will get hit soon. It went down hill from there and apparently almost had a fight break out between VT F2 and a HT player. We had just left because it was getting bad so didn't see that part. Didn't even make it home before phone started blowing up with people wanting to know umpires names and who to complain to etc. I am new to association and didn't know either umpire but there is no way I would give anyone's name out and told them the caches knew who to contact. Really took the fun out of just watching the kids play. I imagine it will be worse when mine gets there.

[Umpire in Chief]

Good call on your part by not sharing the guys info even if you did know it.

[cemyster]

I have two boy's playing baseball.  I have a hard time watching.  I watch for my kid's plays, but often the games move so slow, especially with inexperienced umpires.  After 10 years of coaching and 5 of umpiring, I have a hard time just watching a game for fun.  I am trying to be a parent and sit in my chair and keep my mouth shut!  But find it very frustrating.  I know the issue is me and my need to be in control of the game. 

 

Sorry to hear about your bad experience trying to watch a local game.  When your son gets there, you might have a few bad situations, but baseball is a great game and most of the time it is played without incidents.

[cyclonehokiece]

I have a feeling that when I am a parent, I am going to have to sit away from the crowd just so I don't get myself in trouble.  I have already told my wife I cannot coach baseball, I will help out the league with their officiating, but cannot coach.

[hill2933]

I have actually coached about half this team at one time or another and was on the board of our local rec league with many of the parents. The school has very strong support from the community (since there isnt much else to do other than HS sports) but has a reputation for bad fans. I also do basketball and I am kinda glad I get to block them and the few times I have worked their games in tournaments the have given me an extra earful. This just seemed like something that could have been cleaned up easily very early on and would have been done. I have been thinking of how I would have dealt with it. There was talk early between F3 and bench so I think I would call time and clean the plate (which I hope would have been spotless at the time) and let F3 no I will not be hearing that again. Once the "scoreboard" comment was made I am probably letting the VT HC know he will need to warm up another catcher if I hear ANYTHING else from F3.

 

PU game management was weak and mechanincs were worse but the crowd was more interested in arguing with each other and players than saying much to him. He allowed alot of this of build up without addressing it. BU actually met with both coaches between innings for what I assume was a discussion about the chirping. PU was standing at the backstop drinking Gatorade during this meeting so he probably didn't get much out of it. BU had to step in and correct a few calls when PU didn't call time on swinging strike that hit batter (twice in one inning.) Looked to me like BU was going to give his partner enough rope to hang himself.

[BigUmpire]

I have a feeling that when I am a parent, I am going to have to sit away from the crowd just so I don't get myself in trouble.  I have already told my wife I cannot coach baseball, I will help out the league with their officiating, but cannot coach.

O NO!

You need to "pay your dues" like the rest of us Dads!

I expect you will be great.

[Mike Prince]

I still love going to baseball games to watch, but I don't say very much anymore.  My wife and friends used to try to lead me into discussions about the umpiring at a given game, but they have given up as they have realized I won't give them much beyond acknowledging the call made was correct (which I say almost 100% of the time whether I thought it was right or not).  But I am watching the crew as much as I am the actual game, always trying to pick things up and learn (even if it's learning that's not the right way to do something).  But if it a local game I am there to support the kids who I know (or coached in the past in baseball or other sports).

 

After doing this for awhile I can't imagine myself being a live spectator and openly criticizing any umpire or game official.  Now if I'm in front of a TV....