Almost ejected

[JaxRolo]

Worked a JV game yesterday.

I was PU. Batter hits a grounder to F5 who make a good throw to first. Easy out. But the runner trips over F3's foot as he runs by.

OC asks BU for time because he wanted to talk to BU just to make sure the foot was in the right place and didn't trip BR on purpose. The coach did not come out running or yelling. He was really a nice guy.

BU told him not to bother coming out. There was nothing to talk about. Then of course the coach started to get mad. He just wanted to ask a question. BU said no again.

I talked to BU after the game and said if the coach had come out he would have ejected him. But wouldn't tell me why.

We need to treat coaches with respect if we expect to get respect. This coach treated me with respect the whole game and once I got hit on the mask by a foul ball that almost knocked me out. He was the first one there to see if I was ok.

Guys if you want respect, give respect!

[semper_fi_72]

It is called being APPROACHABLE.

Your partner failed in being approachable.

[kylejt]

It's a lack of confidence(or talent) that puts some umpires in a defense posture, like this. Me, I've got no problem talking to managers.

[grayhawk]

Wow, talk about creating an adversarial atmosphere! If the coach is calm, and wants to ask a question, then by all means welcome him! LISTEN to him, wait until he is finished and give him the information he is seeking - just do it as briefly as possible and get on with the game. I'm not saying to do this in ALL situations, but I think it's a pretty good rule of thumb.

[Dragon29]

It is called being APPROACHABLE.

Your partner failed in being approachable.

+1,000,000!

[SinCityBlue]

Guys if you want respect, give respect!

I agree 110%!!!

In fact, i tell the coaches at the plate meeting, "Coach if you don't like a call, please don't charge out at me, i'm very approachable and sensitive (to kinda get em smiling) and only bad things happen after that. Come out and ask me for help respectfully and i''ll go get help".

[jjb]

Guys if you want respect, give respect!

I agree 110%!!!

In fact, i tell the coaches at the plate meeting, "Coach if you don't like a call, please don't charge out at me, i'm very approachable and sensitive (to kinda get em smiling) and only bad things happen after that. Come out and ask me for help respectfully and i''ll go get help".

Now THERE'S a big 'ol can of worms...

..what if you don't need any help? "Yeah, Blue, but you said at the Plate Meeting.".....

Look, is anybody here of the opinion that coaches are actually listening to us at the plate meeting? How many times have we told them at the meeting "OK, this is what we're going to do", and, when we do it, they act like it was the first time they've heard it? I get the impression that coaches hear the question "Got your lineup card for me?", and "Let's play ball", and everything between is Charlie Brown's parents ("Hwah,, Hwah, Hwah...).So, I've come to the conclusion that, at the Plate Meeting, the less said the better. But, back to the OP.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is, trying to teach some coaches to "Be respectful and don't yell at me from the dugout", by telling them in training meets, telling them at the Plate meeting, or handing them a 3x5 index card for them to carry, none of it's going to work - they're yelling because they're reacting emotionally. For these people, you've got to shut them down. For the rest, who simply ask for time, walk casually out, and respectfully ask a question, these are the people we want to keep in the game. So, as Hawk says, by listening to them, calmly answering their questions, and getting back to the game, it makes everybody (even the coaches) look professional, and makes the game more fun for everyone.

[mstaylor]

My plate meetings are very short, line-ups, ground rules, sportmanship and are they legally equiped. I don't tell them to come to calling umpire because half the time they don't know. I don't tell them to come talk calmly because if they think they got hosed then they aren't going to say please and thank-you. Half the ground rules they forget if you aren't careful so depense all the extra verbage, it falls on deaf ears anyway. And believe me, I am very approachable on the field. I fully understand there are times they are going to come out. Depending on the appropriatness of they meeting or the volume, will decide how long the meeting will be.

[JaxRolo]

My plate meetings are very short, line-ups, ground rules, sportmanship and are they legally equiped.

Exactly how it should be. Coaches are not listening they want to play ball.

And if you are Base Umpire and your partner asks if you have anything Always say No!!!

There are a couple of partners I work with that I wont even ask because I know they talk to much!

[jjb]

I've got mine down to:

"I'm Jim, my partner's Dave. Can I have your lineups? Both teams legally and properly equipped? Any questions for me? Good luck you both".

(before you ask, our fields are tight, and we don't need ground rules). Takes about 20 seconds..