Which is worse.....

[Pete Peterson Sr]

coming from a coach in a youth baseball game: "I used to/currently umpire", or " I coach (fill-in the blank) ball. Both annoy the snot out of me, but what about y'all ?

[Texas Manny]

I'm curious if anyone here considers that saying a "drawing the line in the dirt" type of offense?

[Scratch Franzeo]

coming from a coach in a youth baseball game: "I used to/currently umpire"

I hate this!!

[Mr Umpire]

 

coming from a coach in a youth baseball game: "I used to/currently umpire"

I hate this!!

 

Agreed.  This is worse b/c they think it makes them know the rules as well as the one calling the game or better.  Plus, we have no idea if they do or not.  And, if they argue a call, it is only b/c they know how to umpire and they were watching what needed to be objectively.

 

All BS.

[ricka56]

Remember...they're just trying to get your goat. 

 

...I refuse to believe that they have enough "game" for that to work.

[SJA]

Me too. I had a "coach" tell me during an LL championship game that he had been an Umpire for 30 years . . . after I had given him a warning for "conduct" (and that's putting it politely). Second time it occurred was an EJ without reservation. . . . and I told him to his face, you've "umpired" for 30 years?  . . . then you should know the rules better!

 

SJA :-)  

[Richvee]

Equally annoying...

"I played D1 ball at (fill in the blank) college/University...."

[plateumpire]

I had a coach tell me he played semi-pro baseball. Because of this, he thought he should be able to instruct me about the 8u strike zone. 

[bam]

"I am/was an umpire" is definitely worse.  At least with the "I played (fill in the blank) ball", I can make my eyes REALLY big and say "WOW!"

[ricka56]

Equally annoying...

"I played D1 ball at (fill in the blank) college/University...."

Tell him, Oh, yeah??? I went "steady" with Madonna when we were in 7th grade.

 

...equally irrelevant, more impressive

[Platejob29]

I had a coach a few years ago tell me he called D1 and pro ball and pretty much every type of high level ball you can think of when clearly he had no clue what the game of baseball was. So naturally being the smart a$$ that I am I baited him into admitting he was full of it while he was making a pitching change. When he made the pitching change I had to get his pitchers info to write down on the tournament card and started up a little conversation while doing so. In the middle of the conversation I said to him "coach whenever I get to call for an experienced umpire like your self I always like to get their opinions on different rules and such. So if you don't mind me asking what do you think about the tie goes to the runner rule?" His response was priceless. He says back to me "Well I don't like it but it's in the book so we have to play by it. I'm also not a big fan that hands are part of the bat either but again we don't have much choice when the rulebook clearly states it." I was working that game with my dad and when I told him about our conversation he actually laughed out loud.

[noumpere]

So if you don't mind me asking what do you think about the tie goes to the runner rule?" His response was priceless. He says back to me "Well I don't like it but it's in the book so we have to play by it.

That rule is in the book -- now how it gets called is different but you didn't ask him that

 

I'm curious if anyone here considers that saying a "drawing the line in the dirt" type of offense?

Not even close

[mstaylor]

It's not drawing a line in the sand, it is a warning that he he is going to be either a PIA or clueless. I have umpired many guys that have played in upper level MiLB and MLB. The ones that doesn't broadcast it are generally OK. The ones that can't wait to tell you their accomplishments, generally clueless, almost always a PIA. 

[Aging_Arbiter]

I had heard about two of these occasions this past year.  One response to "I used to umpire" was, "obviously you weren't any good THEN either", but my favorite was a quick witted Jr Umpire who responded with, "Well I just got my license, my first car and couldn't save 15% on my insurance by switching to Geico."  tell me he didn't have THAT rehearsed and tucked away in his ball bag for immediate use.

[Texas Manny]

I'll have to remember that one!

 

Manager: "I used to umpire 30 years ago in D1, Minors, and I've seen it all!"

 

Umpire (me): "Well, did you know that you can save 15% on your car insurance by switching to Geico!"  ...as I walk away...

 

[MidAmUmp]

I saw a quote yesterday that fits umpires perfectly: Confidence is silent.  Insecurities are loud. 

 

If an umpire is worth a crap and also coaches, they'll keep their mouth shut and coach.  If a coach comes to the plate telling me he's an umpire and he's done this and that, I usually screw with them.  I'll make up names and ask if they've ever worked with that guy.  I have a warped sense of humor.

 

The ones that chaps my ass are umpires who lie about what they've done.  The umpiring community is very small and if you lie, you will be found out.  Prime example: we had an umpire move into our area from the east coast with grand stories of everything he worked.  I made 2 calls - 1 to Warren and the other to a guy I had worked with.  They put me in contact with his 2 assigners.  I contacted them and got the real story on him and their assessment was almost identical to mine once I finally saw him work.

[Specks]

If they tell me they do or have been an umpire I usually respond with something like "Good, then you won't be coming out to talk about stupid things". Then if they do, I put it back to them by saying I thought you umpired, you should know ... .At that point I rarely hear from them again. The I've coach/played comments go in 1 ear and out the other just like if my wife was talking.

 

What I WISH the conversation to go like.

 

Coach: I played pro ball!

Me: I like pizza.

Coach: What?

Me: Oh sorry, I thought we were talking about things that don't mean $hit!

[mstaylor]

I had a manager introduce himself at a HS playoff game, he immediately followed it with he pitched D1. I told him that was nice and carried on with my meeting. I tossed him later in the game. I was protested in a state play-off and the manager said he had been to umpire school. I replied, "Really, which one?" Turns out the district LL clinic, I wrote the manual for it. 

I had a coach that was an ex-Oriole, never said a word about it, really nice guy, class group of kids with good training. I umpire a local HS manager that pithed for the Diamondbacks, has a WS ring, nicest guy in the world, comes out and asks questions, returns to dugout, his Dad is a screaming lunatic, tossed him twice. 

[Scratch Franzeo]

Equally annoying...

"I played D1 ball at (fill in the blank) college/University...."

I had a coach wear his Miami National Championship ring to the game.  He was quick to tell me that he was in the starting rotation that year.  I will admit, seeing the ring was cool; it didn't mean much to me, but it was cool.

 

Later in the game, R1 - F1 never comes set.  I balked him and the awarded the runner 2nd.  Next pitch, same thing - he was awarded 3rd.  F6 tells F1 to come set.  Two pitches later, he rolls through it again, and the runner is awarded home.

 

Mr. Miami calls time to talk to me about the balk.

 

Mr. Miami: "Why are you calling that a balk?"

Me: "He's not making a discernible stop."

Mr. Miami: "He's stopping.  When he changes direction, he stops.  There is always a stop when something changes direction."

Me: "A change of direction is not a discernible stop."

Mr. Miami: (rubbing his chin so I can see his ring) "I have to disagree, I used the exact motion when I pitched."

Me: "Ok.  By rule, a change of direction is not a discernible stop.  Let's play." (Turn jog to A)

Mr. Miami: (returns to dugout mumbling)

[noumpere]

Its quite possible that a change in direction was legal when Mr Miami pitched -- that was the rule in college ball until several years ago.

[Scratch Franzeo]

Its quite possible that a change in direction was legal when Mr Miami pitched -- that was the rule in college ball until several years ago.

So, did they not have to come to a complete stop (while in the set)?

[noumpere]

 

Its quite possible that a change in direction was legal when Mr Miami pitched -- that was the rule in college ball until several years ago.

So, did they not have to come to a complete stop (while in the set)?

 

At some point during the "bounce" the hands have stopped (by physics, for just a fraction of a second) -- thus the NCAA allowed this until several years ago.

[Jocko]

We have a former MLB player as a coach. He never even hints about it. Hes in shorts and a jersey. During a pitching change, I mustve been looking at him funny, because he said ,"Do you watch much mlb?" "Yes, Terry. Almost religiously." When he smiled, it hit me who he was...

He has never mentioned a thing about credentials, argued a call, nothing. He asks very few questions, and the ones he asks are the right ones asked the right way.

[Kevin_K]

I saw a quote yesterday that fits umpires perfectly: Confidence is silent.  Insecurities are loud. 

 

If an umpire is worth a crap and also coaches, they'll keep their mouth shut and coach.  If a coach comes to the plate telling me he's an umpire and he's done this and that, I usually screw with them.  I'll make up names and ask if they've ever worked with that guy.  I have a warped sense of humor.

 

The ones that chaps my ass are umpires who lie about what they've done.  The umpiring community is very small and if you lie, you will be found out.  Prime example: we had an umpire move into our area from the east coast with grand stories of everything he worked.  I made 2 calls - 1 to Warren and the other to a guy I had worked with.  They put me in contact with his 2 assigners.  I contacted them and got the real story on him and their assessment was almost identical to mine once I finally saw him work.

I am a big fan of the silent stare. Those receiving the look (as my wife calls it) often get real antsy and find their way back to whatever hole they crawled out of.

[Platejob29]

I've called games for a few former major leaguers and a few minor leaguers and most of them never say a word. I called a game that Choo Freeman once and it had quite a few funny moments. I had Choo a few times before so I already kind of knew him and he knew me to an extent. During the game his team was getting killed and the other coach who was basically a dad with a coaching shirt kept stealing bases and trying to run up the score even though time had expired and it was a tournament so after a certain number of runs it caps off for seeding and anything past that doesn't even matter. We couldn't get out of the inning though no matter what we tried to do. Eventually Choo makes a pitching change and while his pitcher is warming up he explains to the coach how all he is doing is getting the field behind for the rest of the day and none of the past 10 runs scored are actually going to help in in seeding any way. The other coach responds with "well in the majors they don't stop trying to score." Choo replies with "well this isn't the majors clearly." and the other coach has no clue who he is says "what would you know about major league baseball?" The response from Choo had me rolling. He just smiled and said "not a damn thing."