Interesting Evaluation Feedback

[grayhawk]

Had a couple of games yesterday and the second one had an evaluator there (didn't know he was there until after the game).  A couple of pieces of feedback:

 

1.  On the visitor's side, I noticed a fan carrying a sign that was about 2 feet by three feet and the name "Sean" took up the entire sign and the name was all filled in with glitter.  When the visitors were on defense, she was on the first base side right around the 45 foot line.  When they came to bat, she moved directly behind the backstop in F1's line of sight.  After a few pitches, F1 said that the sign was bugging him, and I agreed that it was very distracting.  I called time and asked her to either stop holding the sign there, or move out of the pitcher's line of sight.  She did and that was the end of it.  The evaluator said I had no right or business to ask her to do that.

 

2.  Batter strikes out and the pitch gets away from F2.  Since first base wasn't occupied, the BR ran to first and was thrown out by a couple of steps.  F3 is just starting to move into the infield and the BR shoves him a little bit.  It was unnecessary, but not malicious (which the evaluator agreed with).  I got the BR's attention and told him to knock it off.  1B coach agreed and told him not to do that.  The evaluator said that I should either eject, or say nothing because a redass coach might come out and complain that I am talking to his player.

 

Thoughts?

[Thunderheads]

HORSE$H!T to both!

[KLAH316]

HORSE$H!T to both!

THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

The second one is called Preventitive Umpiring.... Shut it down before it gets out of hand!

[T-Rav]

Sounds like good game management to me but then again your in the peoples republic of California...... 

[mjr_2013]

On the first, I suppose he would have rather you had gone to the home coach or site administration and had them deal with it, but really that's silly if what you did worked... What's it matter if you politely ask the woman to move or the home coach yells over for her to move? It gets the job done and the game moving either way.

 

On the second, that's just dumb. It's like saying there are only two options on all contact - do nothing or eject... If you did nothing on all contact that wasn't malicious, you're just begging for more trouble down the road.

 

Sounds like you probably did a really good job and the evaluator was just trying his best to find a flaw.

[tldavis19]

I agree with everybody. I see nothing wrong with anything you did. Sounds to me like you handled everything appropriately.

[BigUmpire]

Both calls are outstanding.

 

SISSYASS evaluators.

 

Bet he is a USSSA TD as well.

[BigUmpire]

This picture won’t stay up long.

Jeff will get me on this one BUT send this to your evaluator.

[Thunderheads]

This picture won’t stay up long.

Jeff will get me on this one BUT send this to your evaluator.

nawww....that's funny stuff right there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[maven]

Those are both game management 101. Thank the evaluator and let him get back to his poorly managed games.

[grayhawk]

Appreciate the comments guys.  This evaluator is actually a really good umpire, has been to pro school and works college (not sure which levels), and the rest of his evaluation was very helpful - I just didn't agree with him on these points.  He spent about 95% of his time giving feedback/corrections to the PU (I was BU on this game) because, frankly, the PU has a lot of things to work on.  He moved here from CT and had worked about 5 years there with little to no training.  He's got potential - just has developed many bad habits.

 

We'll see how the evaluation comes back, and what rating he recommends.  Just trying to get better so I can work better games.  This was a small school varsity game with a 12-0 final score.  I was so thankful not to have the plate since the home team was using catcher that had never caught before and he was brutal.

[BT_Blue]

As U1 I can see the evaluator's comment about th girl with the sign. It is a long way to walk to talk to her and draws attention. If you are the PU I can see walking up to talk to her but as U1 might be a bit far.

As for the shove... I cant understand the concern. I know most of the college guys down your way and am surprised that they had an issue with what you did.

[Magic]

Grayhawk oh how I remember those Small Christian School Varsity games. I will take my game today over those any day of the week. 

 

Give me a call or talk to me on Monday. I would love to know who the Observer was. 

[johnnyg08]

I disagree with both of the evaluator's comments.

[ricka56]

This OP makes me look forward (not) to getting an evaluation from the chapter vet who teaches immobile umpire mechanics.

[johnnyg08]

This OP makes me look forward (not) to getting an evaluation from the chapter vet who teaches immobile umpire mechanics.

Length of time officiating (or doing anything for that matter) does not necessarily equal quality or competence.

[th3]

In pro ball would they move something distracting from behind the plate?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[johnnyg08]

There are a few fields in my area where cars have their lights on and it creates a glare for the offense and defense.

It is my responsibility as the umpire to deal with management to get the lights turned off.

In this scenario, it seemed like the person was moving intentionally from place to place to distract players with something shiny, which can be very dangerous on a baseball field.

[Richvee]

Sounds like you had a terrific game, and your evaluator needed to find something to pick on. I think we've all had bosses like that also. Never can say great job...A;ways need to find something wrong. If that's all he had to say about your whole game.....Congrats..well done!!  

[Dash Riprock]

In pro ball would they move something distracting from behind the plate?

 

No, but this isn't pro ball, it is high school ball - they don't have backstops in pro ball.  He has every right to chase people from behind the backstop if they are causing a distraction. 

 

The intentional bump of F3 sounds like an EJ to me, but you were there, I wasn't.

[midtnump]

Sounds like you had a terrific game, and your evaluator needed to find something to pick on. I think we've all had bosses like that also. Never can say great job...A;ways need to find something wrong. If that's all he had to say about your whole game.....Congrats..well done!!  

I agree, sounds like one of my wife's teacher evaluators that tell her "we aren't allowed to give perfect scores." if that is the  only two things he could come up with sounds like you had a heck of a good game. Great job!

[umpstu]

Had a couple of games yesterday and the second one had an evaluator there (didn't know he was there until after the game).  A couple of pieces of feedback:

 

1.  On the visitor's side, I noticed a fan carrying a sign that was about 2 feet by three feet and the name "Sean" took up the entire sign and the name was all filled in with glitter.  When the visitors were on defense, she was on the first base side right around the 45 foot line.  When they came to bat, she moved directly behind the backstop in F1's line of sight.  After a few pitches, F1 said that the sign was bugging him, and I agreed that it was very distracting.  I called time and asked her to either stop holding the sign there, or move out of the pitcher's line of sight.  She did and that was the end of it.  The evaluator said I had no right or business to ask her to do that.

 

2.  Batter strikes out and the pitch gets away from F2.  Since first base wasn't occupied, the BR ran to first and was thrown out by a couple of steps.  F3 is just starting to move into the infield and the BR shoves him a little bit.  It was unnecessary, but not malicious (which the evaluator agreed with).  I got the BR's attention and told him to knock it off.  1B coach agreed and told him not to do that.  The evaluator said that I should either eject, or say nothing because a redass coach might come out and complain that I am talking to his player.

 

Thoughts?

I was evaluated out here last year and told I was the most boring umpire in the state. Said I put him to sleep. When he said this to the coach the coach replied, " He may be boring, but he sure does like to call strikes." Also said I was called mushroom because I am a fungi. 

[GetItRight]

Had a couple of games yesterday and the second one had an evaluator there (didn't know he was there until after the game).  A couple of pieces of feedback:

 

1.  On the visitor's side, I noticed a fan carrying a sign that was about 2 feet by three feet and the name "Sean" took up the entire sign and the name was all filled in with glitter.  When the visitors were on defense, she was on the first base side right around the 45 foot line.  When they came to bat, she moved directly behind the backstop in F1's line of sight.  After a few pitches, F1 said that the sign was bugging him, and I agreed that it was very distracting.  I called time and asked her to either stop holding the sign there, or move out of the pitcher's line of sight.  She did and that was the end of it.  The evaluator said I had no right or business to ask her to do that.

 

2.  Batter strikes out and the pitch gets away from F2.  Since first base wasn't occupied, the BR ran to first and was thrown out by a couple of steps.  F3 is just starting to move into the infield and the BR shoves him a little bit.  It was unnecessary, but not malicious (which the evaluator agreed with).  I got the BR's attention and told him to knock it off.  1B coach agreed and told him not to do that.  The evaluator said that I should either eject, or say nothing because a redass coach might come out and complain that I am talking to his player.

 

Thoughts?

He's wrong on both counts.

 

Just because someone is in an "evaluating" position in some organization does not make him an umpiring genius, and this guy clearly isn't one.

[GetItRight]

 

Had a couple of games yesterday and the second one had an evaluator there (didn't know he was there until after the game).  A couple of pieces of feedback:

 

1.  On the visitor's side, I noticed a fan carrying a sign that was about 2 feet by three feet and the name "Sean" took up the entire sign and the name was all filled in with glitter.  When the visitors were on defense, she was on the first base side right around the 45 foot line.  When they came to bat, she moved directly behind the backstop in F1's line of sight.  After a few pitches, F1 said that the sign was bugging him, and I agreed that it was very distracting.  I called time and asked her to either stop holding the sign there, or move out of the pitcher's line of sight.  She did and that was the end of it.  The evaluator said I had no right or business to ask her to do that.

 

2.  Batter strikes out and the pitch gets away from F2.  Since first base wasn't occupied, the BR ran to first and was thrown out by a couple of steps.  F3 is just starting to move into the infield and the BR shoves him a little bit.  It was unnecessary, but not malicious (which the evaluator agreed with).  I got the BR's attention and told him to knock it off.  1B coach agreed and told him not to do that.  The evaluator said that I should either eject, or say nothing because a redass coach might come out and complain that I am talking to his player.

 

Thoughts?

I was evaluated out here last year and told I was the most boring umpire in the state. Said I put him to sleep. When he said this to the coach the coach replied, " He may be boring, but he sure does like to call strikes." Also said I was called mushroom because I am a fungi. 

 

How are strikes boring?

[afaber12]

 

Had a couple of games yesterday and the second one had an evaluator there (didn't know he was there until after the game).  A couple of pieces of feedback:

 

1.  On the visitor's side, I noticed a fan carrying a sign that was about 2 feet by three feet and the name "Sean" took up the entire sign and the name was all filled in with glitter.  When the visitors were on defense, she was on the first base side right around the 45 foot line.  When they came to bat, she moved directly behind the backstop in F1's line of sight.  After a few pitches, F1 said that the sign was bugging him, and I agreed that it was very distracting.  I called time and asked her to either stop holding the sign there, or move out of the pitcher's line of sight.  She did and that was the end of it.  The evaluator said I had no right or business to ask her to do that.

 

2.  Batter strikes out and the pitch gets away from F2.  Since first base wasn't occupied, the BR ran to first and was thrown out by a couple of steps.  F3 is just starting to move into the infield and the BR shoves him a little bit.  It was unnecessary, but not malicious (which the evaluator agreed with).  I got the BR's attention and told him to knock it off.  1B coach agreed and told him not to do that.  The evaluator said that I should either eject, or say nothing because a redass coach might come out and complain that I am talking to his player.

 

Thoughts?

I was evaluated out here last year and told I was the most boring umpire in the state. Said I put him to sleep. When he said this to the coach the coach replied, " He may be boring, but he sure does like to call strikes." Also said I was called mushroom because I am a fungi. 

 

I want to know how an umpire can be boring. I get that he could let the game be boring by allowing too much down time, long changeovers between digs, long conferences on the mound not being broken up, that sort of thing, but how is the umpire boring?

 

Unless it was expressed along the lines of "Wow you're a boring umpire. You did everything right, just the way you're supposed to. As the evaluator, I have nothing to critique you on."