Fun in Umpiring

[Airborne]

Was looking back at old films of different umpiring schools and then watching some great baseball in Florida on vacation, noticed that umpiring has changed a lot in some of the mechanics. When I went to school they drilled in us the positioning of the hammer, the called strike, how to pivot on the turns. indicator timing,  when the other ump goes out to observe a tough catch, and the punch out.

Noticed that the new kids do not do the hammer to the side, but now do it in front like punching some one, they no longer carry indicators on the field to help their partners, and some home plate umps don't carry any indicator at all. Called strikes have no hammer motion and you no longer give a strike sound with a ugh, or ahh but say strike and point. No more scissors or one knee in the box. The home plate umpire has all catches, fair and fouls and his partner never leaves the dirt even on a trap ball call. Has made all umps look like robots and the crowd notices that the umps have no emotion. Maybe I am just old fashion but umpiring is suppose to also be fun for the players and for the umps, when you look like robots it does not look like fun.    

[JaxRolo]

Welcome! BUT some of the things you mentioned are not factual. Most are.

[UmpJM]

Airborne,

 

I certainly concur with your "fun" observation.

 

So much so, that I wrote an article on the topic for an umpire website a number of years ago.

 

http://baseball.officiating.com/x/article/4478

 

Welcome aboard.

 

JM

[tjwoelfel13]

Welcome to the boards though I agree with with Chief Rolo.

[Stan W.]

welcome to the site!.......if having a well umpired game is fun for the players then I agree, if they want me to entertain them or be best-buddies, then not so much

[DVA7130]

Welcome!

Umpiring can be very fun, but for me it usually for me comes from witnessing something on the field. Be it a walkoff, comeback, crazy or great play.

@UmpJM

Is there any way I can read that without signing up to that website?

[Ump29]

Welcome to the site.

[MadMax]

If these "old films" are in black & white, you might find @Jocko when he was a "Recently Hatched Umpire".