"That's a strike!!!!! He didn't pull the bat back!!"

[KLAH316]

PARENTS!!!!

 

Jr High 8th Grade yesterday.... HT is a good team, they all play club ball so the parents you would think should know the rules.

 

VT batter squares to bunt and the pitch goes behind him (F1 is really that wild when he tries the offspeed pitch).  Batter is barely able to lunge forward to avoid being hit as the ball hits the backstop..... 

 

From behind me I can hear a few parents "That's a strike!!  He didn't pull the bat back!!"

 

Then they are trying to get my attention as if I was actually going to have a conversation with them about it!

 

It was all I could do to not laugh out loud!!

[Thunderheads]

PARENTS!!!!

 

Jr High 8th Grade yesterday.... HT is a good team, they all play club ball so the parents you would think should know the rules.

 

VT batter squares to bunt and the pitch goes behind him (F1 is really that wild when he tries the offspeed pitch).  Batter is barely able to lunge forward to avoid being hit as the ball hits the backstop..... 

 

From behind me I can hear a few parents "That's a strike!!  He didn't pull the bat back!!"

 

Then they are trying to get my attention as if I was actually going to have a conversation with them about it!

 

It was all I could do to not laugh out loud!!

there's your BIGGEST mistake, right there!

[BigUmpire]

PARENTS!!!!

 

Jr High 8th Grade yesterday.... HT is a good team, they all play club ball so the parents you would think should know the rules.

 

VT batter squares to bunt and the pitch goes behind him (F1 is really that wild when he tries the offspeed pitch).  Batter is barely able to lunge forward to avoid being hit as the ball hits the backstop..... 

 

From behind me I can hear a few parents "That's a strike!!  He didn't pull the bat back!!"

 

Then they are trying to get my attention as if I was actually going to have a conversation with them about it!

 

It was all I could do to not laugh out loud!!

Bumper stickers:

 

“Youth sports should be played by orphansâ€.- sdandersonjr

“Game management in youth ball can be like herding catsâ€-Bigumpire

"If it weren't for the parents...."-KLAH316

[Rich Ives]

Not pulling the bat back IS a strike in many versions of softball.  Telling the fans "Yes in softball, no in baseball" may be risky but may sometimes be worth it.

 

Multiple rule sets are confusing enough to those who study the rules. Expecting casual fans to get it is a stretch.  

[BigUmpire]

Not pulling the bat back IS a strike in many versions of softball.  Telling the fans "Yes in softball, no in baseball" may be risky but may sometimes be worth it.

 

Multiple rule sets are confusing enough to those who study the rules. Expecting casual fans to get it is a stretch.  

Rich-Are you advocating verbally engaging parents in a JH game for this?

 

Wow!

 

NEVER!

[UmpTTS43]

"That's a foul ball, the ball hit the plate"

[maven]

Don't talk to the fence. Answer one question, and you'll be doing a rules clinic for the rest of the game.

 

If the fans become obstreperous, enlist the coach's assistance in dealing with them.

[grayhawk]

Not pulling the bat back IS a strike in many versions of softball.  Telling the fans "Yes in softball, no in baseball" may be risky but may sometimes be worth it.

 

Multiple rule sets are confusing enough to those who study the rules. Expecting casual fans to get it is a stretch.  

 

I don't expect them to get it.  It would be nice if they would just shut their cake-holes about anything rules related.

[Mike Prince]

I sometimes find the clueless fan chatter entertaining, especially when they are yelling at your back and generally making a fool of themselves.  Every game has bleacher umpires, that will never go away.

 

Best part is when you hear a fan/parent who actually does know a rule or two (yes, they do exist) tell the idiot that they are wrong.

[Jocko]

@Mike Prince - even better is when one of them "used" to umpire little Johnny's LL games. Which immediately makes him the rules interpreter for the idiot conglomeration. These guys really crack me up. I dont advocate ever talking through the fence. But sometimes its just so hard not to turn around and laugh.

[LMSANS]

Don't talk to the fence. Answer one question, and you'll be doing a rules clinic for the rest of the game.

 

If the fans become obstreperous, enlist the coach's assistance in dealing with them.

[mjr_2013]

I almost had to toss a 16u pitcher for this two years ago...

 

Batter went to bunt, pitch went behind him, batter jack knifed out of the way and didn't move back the bat

Catcher requested PU to check with me

When he did, I came up with a no swing

F1 got mad and semi-yelled at me "He swung!"

I told him "He needs to attempt to hit the pitch. He didn't."

F1 said "That's bull."
I told him "Excuse me?"

He mumbled "Nothing."

[BigUmpire]

F1 said "That's bull."

 

AND HE STAYED?

Wow!

[mjr_2013]

F1 said "That's bull."

 

AND HE STAYED?

Wow!

 

He didn't swear, no one else heard it, and he was just mad at himself cuz he was doing horrible... I gave him a chance to take it back, and he took it.

[maven]

I almost had to toss a 16u pitcher for this two years ago...

 

Batter went to bunt, pitch went behind him, batter jack knifed out of the way and didn't move back the bat

Catcher requested PU to check with me

When he did, I came up with a no swing

F1 got mad and semi-yelled at me "He swung!"

I told him "He needs to attempt to hit the pitch. He didn't."

F1 said "That's bull."

I told him "Excuse me?"

He mumbled "Nothing."

 

Why are you telling him anything? The defense appealed, and you made your ruling.

 

F1 disagreed, which is fine. He expressed his disagreement, which is fine. If it was borderline loud, we can address that.

 

At that point, having made our ruling, we should just ignore a player's (or coach's) statement. If coach requests time for a discussion of the ruling, we can do that. Otherwise, play ball.

 

A sharp partner behind the plate could have helped you by calling time and sending F2 out to cool down F1.

 

I think one of the challenging things about officiating is allowing people to disagree with us. We want not only to be right, but to be perceived to be right. I've been trying to be satisfied by just the former.

[Jocko]

@maven - you should strive to emulate me..... I'm BOTH!

[conbo61]

Don't talk to the fence. Answer one question, and you'll be doing a rules clinic for the rest of the game.

If the fans become obstreperous, enlist the coach's assistance in dealing with them.

New bumper sticker:

"Don't talk to the fence"

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[maven]

@maven - you should strive to emulate me..... I'm BOTH!

 

Perceived to be right?

 

Where?

 

[blue23ll]

Don't talk to the fence. Answer one question, and you'll be doing a rules clinic for the rest of the game.

 

If the fans become obstreperous, enlist the coach's assistance in dealing with them.

I think there is medication for that. 

 

My favorite was when a batter got a base hit on a ball that bounced in the dirt. The OT coach comes running up to me saying, " He can't hit that the ball is dead"....and I put on my, "really???" look and said, " WHAT?"  The coach said with a straight face, " A ball that hits the dirt is DEAD", and I responded, "Ok, next time your runner advances on a ball in the dirt I will send them back, OOKAYYYYYYY???"  The coach turned and walked away.....this man is now a HS Varsity Head Coach!!  I kid you NOT.

[Rich Ives]

Option 1: listen to BS interps from the fans then come here and laugh at them for their ignorance.

 

Option 2: Teach them the rules.

 

 

So why is option 1 better?

[Richvee]

Option 1: listen to BS interps from the fans then come here and laugh at them for their ignorance.

 

Option 2: Teach them the rules.

 

 

So why is option 1 better?

Reason #1- Because I'm umpiring a game. Not holding class. 

Reason #2- I'd guess at least 1/2 the time they couldn't care less what the rule really is. They just think riding the umpire is "part of the game"

 

At the levels I work, any parent can find me in the parking lot at my car after a game. If they're civil, and want to ask a legit rules question, I'm more than happy to explain rules to them. During a game, at the backstop simply isn't the place to teach them anything, or even acknowledge them for that matter. 

[Jocko]

Nothing exists outside the fence. Wtf are you ppl talking about?!? :shrug:

[BigUmpire]

 

Don't talk to the fence. Answer one question, and you'll be doing a rules clinic for the rest of the game.

If the fans become obstreperous, enlist the coach's assistance in dealing with them.

New bumper sticker:

"Don't talk to the fence"

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

 

Perfect!

[BigUmpire]

 

Option 1: listen to BS interps from the fans then come here and laugh at them for their ignorance.

 

Option 2: Teach them the rules.

 

 

So why is option 1 better?

Reason #1- Because I'm umpiring a game. Not holding class. 

Reason #2- I'd guess at least 1/2 the time they couldn't care less what the rule really is. They just think riding the umpire is "part of the game"

 

At the levels I work, any parent can find me in the parking lot at my car after a game. If they're civil, and want to ask a legit rules question, I'm more than happy to explain rules to them. During a game, at the backstop simply isn't the place to teach them anything, or even acknowledge them for that matter. 

 

You are kidding me!

I have rarely heard of anything good happening to an umpire outside of the fence after a game.

NO way!

[Mike Prince]

 

 

Option 1: listen to BS interps from the fans then come here and laugh at them for their ignorance.

 

Option 2: Teach them the rules.

 

 

So why is option 1 better?

Reason #1- Because I'm umpiring a game. Not holding class. 

Reason #2- I'd guess at least 1/2 the time they couldn't care less what the rule really is. They just think riding the umpire is "part of the game"

 

At the levels I work, any parent can find me in the parking lot at my car after a game. If they're civil, and want to ask a legit rules question, I'm more than happy to explain rules to them. During a game, at the backstop simply isn't the place to teach them anything, or even acknowledge them for that matter. 

 

You are kidding me!

 

I have rarely heard of anything good happening to an umpire outside of the fence after a game.

 

NO way!

 

 

Others will certainly disagree, but here is my take on it along with a little back story.

 

I took a new job in 2011 which took away a lot of my umpire schedule flexibility and as a result I had to stop umpiring HS games.  I pretty much work locally now in the Cal Ripken/Babe Ruth rec ball association I started in.  I also work middle school games as well as some tournament ball (up to 12U).  While I miss doing upper level ball and had to give up some of my umpiring aspirations, I am happy where I have landed.

 

In the rec ball arena, I have no issue with an off-field parent/coach-initiated conversation if it is apparent that there is a conversation to be had.  I have not had anyone approach me while I am at my car changing, but if they approach politely and with a real question, I will listen and answer if I can (while also explaining I am a bit busy and there may be a better time/place for a conversation).  For better or worse, I will see these people for the entire span of their kids' rec ball careers and some are my neighbors and friends; I don't see the point in ignoring them if they have a real question and I can help them understand something (much in the same vein as being approachable and reasonable on the field).

 

On the other hand, if someone approaches me away from the field and it is clear that they are angry, I will not proceed with a conversation as there will not be one to have.  They can cool down and find me some other time or just go away.  I do this (umpiring) because I like it and have no room for unreasonable behavior when I have control over the situation.

 

In other levels of ball and tournaments, I generally will not engage in any conversation away from the field with anyone but tournament staff or fellow umpires.

 

Regardless of level/location, I am not going to acknowledge or talk through the fence to/at anyone.  That's not the right time to do it and we have responsibilities on the field to take care of.  As stated earlier, once you start doing that, problems start.