Leave this alone or handle it?

[umpire_scott]

 

 

Part of my pregame with a partner usually involves some discussion on coming in to talk.  Something like "I'll come in after the 4th inning IF we need to talk about something, unless something crazy happens in the 4th".  So to answer your question more directly, if my partner is calling plays that are mine, I would first signal to him immediately after the play that it's my call (usually a sharp point to my chest).  If he keeps doing it, I would come in at the previously agreed upon time and remind him what our individual responsibilities are (unless there was a banger or a call that got a lot of noise that inning, then it would look like we are discussing that call which only adds fuel to the fire).

 

If you (or your partner) feel a need to come in earlier or more often, that's your choice.  Just trying to communicate the "normal" protocol for you.  Apparently you work some games with unusual protocols though, the score checking being one of them.

 

In addition to the normal protocol in these tournaments I would say about 10% of the BU's go to short RF between innings.  Most of them either lean up against the fence or stand and talk to the first base coach between innings.  I think part of the reason for this is that when doing 5-7 games in fairly hot weather, sometimes keeping cool trumps protocol.  So since so much of their time is spent hydrating between innings it seems kind of pointless to make sure all other times they are in short RF.  I make a point of doing it because it's what you are supposed to do.  But most of the guys I work with in these tournaments do not.  So I probably have more conversations that I should simply because they are coming in and talking to me for no reason.  If I adhered to all the proper protocol (once again I adhere to most of it), I would literally be the only umpire doing it.  So at some point I just take the attitude that I will do my thing and they can do their's.  I'm not going to correct guys where no one else is expecting them to do anything different.

 

 

My advice to you is that if you truly want to improve, don't follow the sheep (who are using sub-standard methods).  Sometimes being the "only umpire doing something" isn't necessarily a bad thing - maybe some of these umpires you post about will start doing the right thing once they see you doing it.  Or they will ask in postgame, "why did you do...."; this is the time for a teaching/learning moment, not between innings.

 

I will now defer to you so you can have the last word

 

 

Sorry I think I was a little unclear.  I don't "follow the sheep", but I also don't go out of my way to correct them.  If it's a newer umpire that does not know, then I'll tell them what they should be doing.  But if it's an experienced umpire that just figures in this tournament he doesn't have to bring his "A" game then all I'm going to do by telling him is create an adversarial relationship.  I won't be telling them something they don't know, I'll just be telling them something they've made the choice not to bother doing.

 

When I go out there I make every effort to follow the proper between inning mechanics.  I make a point of being on the base line of the team that is hitting for that half inning when PU, and I'm always in short RF as BU.  The protocol that I don't follow is that I don't shoo my partner away when he comes to talk to me.  Maybe I should, but it just seems like the negative outweighs the positive in that situation.

[Kevin_K]

 

 

 

Part of my pregame with a partner usually involves some discussion on coming in to talk.  Something like "I'll come in after the 4th inning IF we need to talk about something, unless something crazy happens in the 4th".  So to answer your question more directly, if my partner is calling plays that are mine, I would first signal to him immediately after the play that it's my call (usually a sharp point to my chest).  If he keeps doing it, I would come in at the previously agreed upon time and remind him what our individual responsibilities are (unless there was a banger or a call that got a lot of noise that inning, then it would look like we are discussing that call which only adds fuel to the fire).

 

If you (or your partner) feel a need to come in earlier or more often, that's your choice.  Just trying to communicate the "normal" protocol for you.  Apparently you work some games with unusual protocols though, the score checking being one of them.

 

In addition to the normal protocol in these tournaments I would say about 10% of the BU's go to short RF between innings.  Most of them either lean up against the fence or stand and talk to the first base coach between innings.  I think part of the reason for this is that when doing 5-7 games in fairly hot weather, sometimes keeping cool trumps protocol.  So since so much of their time is spent hydrating between innings it seems kind of pointless to make sure all other times they are in short RF.  I make a point of doing it because it's what you are supposed to do.  But most of the guys I work with in these tournaments do not.  So I probably have more conversations that I should simply because they are coming in and talking to me for no reason.  If I adhered to all the proper protocol (once again I adhere to most of it), I would literally be the only umpire doing it.  So at some point I just take the attitude that I will do my thing and they can do their's.  I'm not going to correct guys where no one else is expecting them to do anything different.

 

 

My advice to you is that if you truly want to improve, don't follow the sheep (who are using sub-standard methods).  Sometimes being the "only umpire doing something" isn't necessarily a bad thing - maybe some of these umpires you post about will start doing the right thing once they see you doing it.  Or they will ask in postgame, "why did you do...."; this is the time for a teaching/learning moment, not between innings.

 

I will now defer to you so you can have the last word

 

 

Sorry I think I was a little unclear.  I don't "follow the sheep", but I also don't go out of my way to correct them.  If it's a newer umpire that does not know, then I'll tell them what they should be doing.  But if it's an experienced umpire that just figures in this tournament he doesn't have to bring his "A" game then all I'm going to do by telling him is create an adversarial relationship.  I won't be telling them something they don't know, I'll just be telling them something they've made the choice not to bother doing.

 

When I go out there I make every effort to follow the proper between inning mechanics.  I make a point of being on the base line of the team that is hitting for that half inning when PU, and I'm always in short RF as BU.  The protocol that I don't follow is that I don't shoo my partner away when he comes to talk to me.  Maybe I should, but it just seems like the negative outweighs the positive in that situation.

 

You could also walk away without saying a word as though some pressing concern has gotten your attention on the other side of home plate. Even the most obtuse among us should receive that message after a couple of innings.