The Partner We All Have Nightmares About

[MRG9999]

We had this situation happen during a 9/10 game.  I happened to be one of the coaches for this game and tried to stay calm due to having worked with this Junior umpire the week before.  There was a fly ball to the outfield and the batter/runner completely missed 2nd base, seen it from the bench area plain as day.  The batter / runner makes it to 3rd base.  The other team did not see the missed base due to yelling to the outfield to get the ball back in and by the way their other bench coaches were acting.  Time was called and the base umpire (Junior umpire) runs to the HP umpire and loudy says the runner missed 2nd base.  I just about lost it (did not enter the field) and was telling him he can't make that call unless the defensive team appeals it.  He kept going on and on.  The HP umpire (his brother) takes him aside and talks to him.  Now the defensive team appeals that he missed 2nd base and he is called out.  The kid wanted to run and hide and was in tears.  I go out to him to calm him down and tell him to forget it an chalk it up to a lesson learned.  His brother (HP umpire) sees this and threatens to eject me.  The other coaches on both teams tell him that I was just calming him down and made sure he was OK.  Each manager gets ejected by the HP umpire and they go in front of the baseball association board.  There were plenty of witnesses from both sides and other teams who were just watching the game.  Turns out the ejections were nulled and the brothers umpire never called a game for the rest of the year.  I recently seen the junior umpire and asked him why he did not umpire the rest of the season and was told that his brother called him names that are not fit to say here and did not want to relive the scene.  I asked if I was to help him, would he come back, so now we are starting a umpire clinic for the juniors and go over rules and situations like these.       

[JaxRolo]

Good for you! Sent from my Bed

[Platejob29]

I've had a few partners pretty close to this bad and unfortunately 2 of them were in high school games. Luckily they were both freshman games so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. The worst partner I have ever worked with was this pst year at CDP. We get assigned to our crews Saturday and all go over our experience level as well as what signals and mechanics we will use to make sure there isn't any confusion since we are all fro different parts of the country and at different levels of experience. This guy of course claims to have called D1 college ball in the past but that he took off for a few years and was just now getting back into the game(after hearing my whole story it will be pretty obvious he was full of it.). I end up working with him for my first 2 games at CDP ever. The first game I am on the dish and he is working the bases. We talk a few hours before the game and he asks if I want to wear pro blue. I ask him to make sure he means actual pro blue with the black collar (i know it's called powder blue in some places). He says yes that's the one he wanted to wear. We meet up before the game outside my barrack where the shuttle carts pick up umpires to take to the fields and he has on softball blue. I asked him where his pro blue shirt was and he said "this is my pro blue shirt." (I still don't think he realizes that he was wearing a different shirt than me.) So I just go with it because it was too late to change. We get to the field and I start giving my short little plate meeting speech and he decides to cut in and talk over me to tell the coaches that he has called D1 before and that he doesn't want any arguing. At this point I decide that I'm not going to say anything and just let him talk himself into a hole. So now it's the top of the 1st and the lead off batter hits a double. My partner then sets up directly behind 2nd base as the next batter steps in. Fast forward to the middle of the inning and he comes over to me and asks if I thought his out call looked ok for a play he had at first where the kid was out by 5 steps. I tell "him that I thought it was a bit much for a play that wasn't even close but that I was more concerned about why he was setting up behind the bases with runners on?" He gives me some stupid crackpot answer and then decides to change it an line up sort of in the correct spot in the bottom of the inning. So now about half way through the bottom of the 1st he looks over the the VT dugout and sees a kid who is 16 sitting on a bucket calling pitches. My partner calls time and asks the kid how old he is and when the kid tells him 16 he tells the kid he needs to get in the dugout because you have to be 18 to be on the field. The kid then shows him his coaches bracelet and my partner still didn't care and tried to put him in the dugout. By this time I have made it over to my partner and give the VTs HC a look to let him know I'll take care of it. I then tell my partner it doesn't matter what his age is there isn't any rule saying he can't be on the field and that the team paid $800 so he could be a coach and that he was going to be allowed to do so. My partner disagrees and tries to pull rank on me. I tell him that I don't care what experience he claims to have that the kid is going to be allowed to coach his team. Now fast forward to the top of 4. 1 out runner on 3rd. RH batter swings at strike 3 and the ball is a low outside pitch and the catcher takes a stab at it and it hits his glove but I clearly see it short hop so to speak on the ground at the catchers side and back into his glove. I give a drop 3rd strike signal and the runner takes off to first the catcher throws to first but the first baseman kicks the play and the ball roles out of play. As this is happening my partner is putting his arms up cupping his man boobs looking at me and starts shaking his arms as if he is trying to give me a signal. AFter the ball rolls out of play I signal the runner from 3rd to home and the BR to second. My partner then calls time and yells out "the batter is out the ball was caught and the runner returns to 3rd. I run over to him and ask him what the hell he is doing. He tells the the catcher clearly caught it and his boob grabbing motion was a caught ball mechanic. I then tell him that he is an idiot and that just because he thought it was caught doesn't mean he can overrule me like that when I clearly saw the ball hit the ground. I call both coaches in and explain to them that it was my call and that I saw it hit the ground and my original ruling would stand. Both coaches don't put up any argument and the coach who's team the call went for laughs a little bit and says "your partner sure is top notch, we need some more of these "D1" guys out here." After the game I put my partner on blast and he starts whining that he only wants critiques from his CC. Well second game comes around and he in on the plate and I'm not going to go into much detail but I will give a few short examples of what he did several times. Ever batter that struck out he would give an over animated punch out even when the batter swung and missed. He verbalized every foul ball as loud as he could and threw his arms straight up int the air. even the ones that were 30 of out of play. Then on ball four for ever batter the would hold out 4 fingers on his right hand lift it straight up in the air then do the same with his left and and step towards first with his left leg and throw his left arm in the same direction and yell out "ball 4 take your base" every single time. Well later on in the week there was an issue with an umpire who had to be removed who happened to be a CC. My CC took his place on that crew and I became the CC for my crew. At this point the clown I worked with earlier decides he wants to take the day off before elimination day. I don't really have a problem with it because he and I were the only ones on our crew who didn't have a day off yet and I really didn't want to take a day off. I hear later on that he told the guys in his barrack he didn't want to work because I was his CC and he didn't like my critiques. So that night we get the schedule for our elimination day games and I get put on the championship in left field and on an elite 8 game as the plate umpire and CC. Guess who is working left field on my elite 8 game? The clown!! He then tells our crew that he wants to cut out early and head home because he isn't feeling well. I tell my crew I will be right back so I can go tell the UIC that the guy didn't want to work and that I needed someone to work left field. While I'm gone he tells everyone on my crew that he doesn't want to go home early but that it he didn't like my critiques and that he only listened to his CC critiques so it was a "conflict of interest" for him.  Sorry I got so long winded but that was a story that had to be told.

[mstaylor]

It is a problem when you are in a situation where there guys from different regions. Some guys just seem like they have to inflate their experience. I prefer to go and work and let others decide if I'm any good. For example, I worked D1 in my area but it was limited to about four schools. I wasn't traveling the ACC/SEC circuit. I have worked a ton of HS and semi-pro ball. Who cares, I am also 55 yrs old, lower back problems, bad knees and a half healed Achilles. I still can work but I'm not as fast as I used to be. I will still take criticism from partners. I know the more an person brags about his ability, the less he can do.

Sounds like the best thing that happened to you was he didn't want to work.  

[BRUMP]

Btw most of these people who claim to have d1 experience probably just worked some showcase tourney at a d1 field and don't know the difference.

[BalkHawk]

Whom.

[grayhawk]

Platejob29, I was believing your story until I read this:

 

So now it's the top of the 1st and the lead off batter hits a double.

 

This is not possible.  Everyone knows that everything at CDP is either a single or a home run.  

[Platejob29]

Platejob29, I was believing your story until I read this:

 

 

 

So now it's the top of the 1st and the lead off batter hits a double.

 

This is not possible.  Everyone knows that everything at CDP is either a single or a home run.  

nope really was a double, kid was extremely fast and the right fielder played the ball wrong off the wall and bobbled it when he finally got to it. Only double I saw all week but it wasn't a true double with no errors.

[JaxRolo]

Platejob29, I was believing your story until I read this: So now it's the top of the 1st and the lead off batter hits a double.

This is not possible. Everyone knows that everything at CDP is either a single or a home run. nope really was a double, kid was extremely fast and the right fielder played the ball wrong off the wall and bobbled it when he finally got to it. Only double I saw all week but it wasn't a true double with no errors. So you're saying it was a single and an error

[gnhbua93]

My nightmare is having a partner like JaxRolo

[JaxRolo]

My nightmare is having a partner like JaxRolo

Yeah cause I'm so good you would look bad!

[Texas Manny]

Great story, but now I'm crosseyed. Paragraphs man. Paragraphs!

[Platejob29]

 

Platejob29, I was believing your story until I read this: So now it's the top of the 1st and the lead off batter hits a double.

This is not possible. Everyone knows that everything at CDP is either a single or a home run. nope really was a double, kid was extremely fast and the right fielder played the ball wrong off the wall and bobbled it when he finally got to it. Only double I saw all week but it wasn't a true double with no errors. So you're saying it was a single and an error

 

Yes it was a single with an error. I should have written it that way but I wasn't thinking when I typed it out. I do think that the bookkeeper gave him a double though anyway. Not positive on that though.

[bam]

 The kid wanted to run and hide and was in tears.  I go out to him to calm him down and tell him to forget it an chalk it up to a lesson learned.  His brother (HP umpire) sees this and threatens to eject me.  The other coaches on both teams tell him that I was just calming him down and made sure he was OK.  Each manager gets ejected by the HP umpire and they go in front of the baseball association board.   

Is it just me or am I the only one who thinks there's a little bit more to this story?

 

Why were you standing on the field consoling the little darling (who is undoubtedly now scarred for life) and giving him a lecture in life lessons? 

 

I'm calling bu!!sh!t 

[Texas Manny]

 

 The kid wanted to run and hide and was in tears.  I go out to him to calm him down and tell him to forget it an chalk it up to a lesson learned.  His brother (HP umpire) sees this and threatens to eject me.  The other coaches on both teams tell him that I was just calming him down and made sure he was OK.  Each manager gets ejected by the HP umpire and they go in front of the baseball association board.   

Is it just me or am I the only one who thinks there's a little bit more to this story?

 

Why were you standing on the field consoling the little darling (who is undoubtedly now scarred for life) and giving him a lecture in life lessons? 

 

I'm calling bu!!sh!t 

 

Why Bovine excrament? I went back and read the whole story. One umpiring mistake after another. For whatever reason, the kid was horrified and Mike went out to console him. Is that wrong? He's the coach. It's not always about instructing baseball. You have 12 or more personalities to deal with and that means guidance on all levels. I don't think Mike did anything wrong. I do believe, that if there is any missing information in the story, it's the issue between the umpiring brothers and their hapless story.

 

FWIW, I hope that the junior umpire got the courage to return and learn. Constructive criticism and instruction is one thing. But bashing is another. It serves no purpose, and can change a life for the negative.

[Larry in TN]

Yes it was a single with an error. I should have written it that way but I wasn't thinking when I typed it out. I do think that the bookkeeper gave him a double though anyway. Not positive on that though.

 

From my experience, most of the scorers at LL level have no idea what they're doing.  I bet not 1 in 50 have even heard of chapter 10.00 in the OBRs, never mind read it. Seems like most coaches are just happy to get someone who's willing to do a book.

 

One guy I know tries to get it right, to a point, but hasn't taken up my suggestion to read chapter 10.00.  He uses GameChanger.io to do his scoring but does a really poor job with base advances.  He's always wanting to give stolen bases to runners while the ball is in play.  Advances that should be on FC, E, or just taking more than one base with a ball in play.

[blue23ll]

Heck I'm happy if they get the score right! Deliriously happy in fact. :HD:

[MRG9999]

The kid wanted to run and hide and was in tears.  I go out to him to calm him down and tell him to forget it an chalk it up to a lesson learned.  His brother (HP umpire) sees this and threatens to eject me.  The other coaches on both teams tell him that I was just calming him down and made sure he was OK.  Each manager gets ejected by the HP umpire and they go in front of the baseball association board.

Is it just me or am I the only one who thinks there's a little bit more to this story?

 

Why were you standing on the field consoling the little darling (who is undoubtedly now scarred for life) and giving him a lecture in life lessons? 

 

I'm calling bu!!sh!t

Why Bovine excrament? I went back and read the whole story. One umpiring mistake after another. For whatever reason, the kid was horrified and Mike went out to console him. Is that wrong? He's the coach. It's not always about instructing baseball. You have 12 or more personalities to deal with and that means guidance on all levels. I don't think Mike did anything wrong. I do believe, that if there is any missing information in the story, it's the issue between the umpiring brothers and their hapless story.

 

FWIW, I hope that the junior umpire got the courage to return and learn. Constructive criticism and instruction is one thing. But bashing is another. It serves no purpose, and can change a life for the negative.

[MRG9999]

Thanks Manny for the support. People like Bam can make life difficult. We had our first Jr umpire clinic two Saturdays ago and the kid did show.

[MRG9999]

By the way ,,, who the he// is Bam. Sounds like he is needs an attitude adjustment about life.

[Typhoon]

We still didn't hear what happened in the second game of the OP

[Dannytheman]

 

Yes it was a single with an error. I should have written it that way but I wasn't thinking when I typed it out. I do think that the bookkeeper gave him a double though anyway. Not positive on that though.

 

From my experience, most of the scorers at LL level have no idea what they're doing.  I bet not 1 in 50 have even heard of chapter 10.00 in the OBRs, never mind read it. Seems like most coaches are just happy to get someone who's willing to do a book.

 

One guy I know tries to get it right, to a point, but hasn't taken up my suggestion to read chapter 10.00.  He uses GameChanger.io to do his scoring but does a really poor job with base advances.  He's always wanting to give stolen bases to runners while the ball is in play.  Advances that should be on FC, E, or just taking more than one base with a ball in play.

 

There is only 9 chapters in LL, hard for scorekeepers to get to chapter 10.

[Larry in TN]

There is only 9 chapters in LL, hard for scorekeepers to get to chapter 10.

 

Not all that hard.  All they need is Google!

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/official_info/official_rules/official_scorer_10.jsp

[mstaylor]

Yeah, every time I start reading 10.00 my head starts hurting. 

[Larry in TN]

Yeah, every time I start reading 10.00 my head starts hurting. 

 

I have the same reaction when I start reading all of the rules on Interference!