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My rant about the plate

Replacematt

By Replacematt
in Free For All

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tjwoelfel13

tjwoelfel13

Posted
Posted

I'm not super confident working the dish yet but I still take my turn when it comes. However when working with a more experienced partner I ask to take the second plate so I can watch him/her and learn. However if they refuse I will take it without complaint and ask them to critique me.

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MidAmUmp
MidAmUmp

Lack of confidence, laziness, etc. aren't valid reasons for not working the plate. I would guess their give a crap level is pretty low, too. I don't know your status in your association, but taking y

Mike Prince
Mike Prince

I respectfully disagree with your disagreement.   When I have an inexperienced partner, I encourage him to take the plate.  Once they realize they won't get hit (or that the equipment will protect t

grayhawk
grayhawk

Same here - even for summer ball.  The only time I switched was when I asked my partner for our game at Angels Stadium if I could take the dish.  He was happy to oblige.  Thankfully, I seem to be work

Jocko

Jocko

Posted
Posted

Why do these umpire not want the plate? Can't take all the squatting (e.g., bad knees)? Too many injuries in an already long career? You might just try to have an honest conversation with them. Or, maybe not, if they are just acquaintances.

 

I don't understand why umpires would *not* want the plate. I'd rather have the plate in every game I do. But, we are assigned plate/base in HS games. And, in tournaments (i.e., a bunch of games in a few days) everyone should take on a share, as Jocko says.

 

The plate is more interesting. The plate is more challenging. The plate is more fun. You have control of the game. You have to interact (properly) with the managers/head coaches, which is always more interesting than standing out in RF between innings.

 

For that matter, if I don't know my partner, I'd rather have the plate. I guess I come down on the side that thinks the plate umpire is more important to the general flow and atmosphere of the game. I want it my way (e.g., no wasted time between innings, ball put in play after fouls, etc.)

 

@Jocko, when we work together (I'd look forward to that!), I hope it's a DH, so we can split it.

:cheers:
Jocko

Jocko

Posted
Posted

@JHSump - with a contact I recently made, us working same tourney/crew may not be that far fetched.

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JHSump

JHSump

Posted
Posted

@JHSump - with a contact I recently made, us working same tourney/crew may not be that far fetched.

@Jocko, really!?  That would be cool!

magna929

magna929

Posted
Posted

Unless I am working a tournamemt, I usually offer to take plate. I feel behind the dish is where you can learn the most and really improve as an umpire. Now if I'm doing a lower lever game that day I'll try to take field, as close plays happen at all levels and I feel that I can improve as a field umpire more in those games. For me it's all about how I can use today's game to improve as an umpire.

I know many smitty umpires (at least where I'm from) will try to avoid plate for the various reasons already mentioned, but I don't really mind because I'm the one that wants to put in the work and get to higger level baseball and am not umpiring just for the money.

In Harvey's book (They Called Me God) he mentions that he was forced to take the plate for a game early in his umpiring career which then gave him the opportunity to prove himself at the pro level. He said he didn't think he would have gotten noticed that game if he was the field umpire. Just food for thought.

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FleasOf1000Camels

FleasOf1000Camels

Posted
Posted

I guess I'm just lucky, have never seen this problem around here. 

Our ass'n doesn't use assigners, except for a few specific tournaments, and we're each responsible for getting our own games.

I'd say that 80% of my games are worked with one of the same 5 or 6 partners, and I don't recall base/plate choice ever being an much of an issue.

Have I ever had a partner beg off the plate?...sure.  Have I ever done it?...certainly...but it's extremely rare.

If anything, we may argue about who GETS the plate rather that who doesn't HAVE to work it.

 

Whenever I'm scheduled with a newer partner, I always ask some version of these questions:

"What part of your game do you feel LEAST comfortable with?...

"Where do you feel you MOST need to improve?...

I then firmly suggest they work their weaker position, and offer to give them some pointers.

RichMSN

RichMSN

Posted
Posted

If I'm stuck with a partner who I know is horrible on the plate and turns a 90 minute game into 2+ hours with no pace of play and a coffee can zone, I'm going to figure out how to work the dish.

 

Fortunately, that happens rarely.  I work with good people and good umpires and we take our turns.  And if one has an excuse, we're good enough friends to pick up for each other.

 

Life's too short to work with umpires, especially in the summer, you don't like or respect.

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DVA7130

DVA7130

Posted
Posted

We are free to decide.

 

Most every clinic I've attended told the young guys to take as many plates as possible.

SteveJ

SteveJ

Posted
Posted

We are free to decide.

 

Most every clinic I've attended told the young guys to take as many plates as possible.

That's what we recommend around here.  As you all know learning how to be a good plate umpire is a lot more involved than just calling balls and strikes -- it's about total game management. The sooner the "newbies" learn good game management the better it is for them and their partner(s). So I like to get the new guys I'm mentoring behind the plate as often as possible.

UmpJeff

UmpJeff

Posted
Posted

I've run into "these umpires" all season long, too.  The thing is, I prefer to work the dish.  Especially, if it's with a partner I don't know and have never worked with.  Game management is in MY hands as the plate umpire.  Besides, it keeps me involved and games seem to move along much quicker and smoothly.  Two of the worst things you can have is a plate umpire who doesn't have solid game management and ball/strike calling skills where you end up with a 3-hour, 7 inning ballgame.

 

The good news for me is, I'm having my second hip replacement in September.  This will enable me to work even more plates next season!!!

BaltimoreUmpire

BaltimoreUmpire

Posted
Posted

Here we get assigned plate/bases but you can ask for one over the other most guys try to get the bases which works for me because i get more plate work then

SteveJ

SteveJ

Posted
Posted

I've run into "these umpires" all season long, too.  The thing is, I prefer to work the dish.  Especially, if it's with a partner I don't know and have never worked with.  Game management is in MY hands as the plate umpire.  Besides, it keeps me involved and games seem to move along much quicker and smoothly.  Two of the worst things you can have is a plate umpire who doesn't have solid game management and ball/strike calling skills where you end up with a 3-hour, 7 inning ballgame.

 

The good news for me is, I'm having my second hip replacement in September.  This will enable me to work even more plates next season!!!

 

I've run into "these umpires" all season long, too.  The thing is, I prefer to work the dish.  Especially, if it's with a partner I don't know and have never worked with.  Game management is in MY hands as the plate umpire.  Besides, it keeps me involved and games seem to move along much quicker and smoothly.  Two of the worst things you can have is a plate umpire who doesn't have solid game management and ball/strike calling skills where you end up with a 3-hour, 7 inning ballgame.

 

The good news for me is, I'm having my second hip replacement in September.  This will enable me to work even more plates next season!!!

I understand what you are saying -- My priorities are a little different, I am more "into" helping develop the next generation of umpires -- I guess I should say my grandchildren generation of umpires. In the league I work for all "senior" umpires are required to "work down" to help mentor the new guys/gals. The boss says, "If you want the college games and other higher level games you've got to work an occasional lower level game". Starting in August, when the new umpire training program begins, the lower level games will account for probably 90% of the games that I work -- Myself and a few other guys ask to mentor the new umpires -- we enjoy it.    Luckily the new guys I work with only work games with "time limits" so I am spared the grueling marathon games.  Come to think about...the longest game I ever worked was a college game years ago with two very experienced partners.....the guy who worked the dish is a umpiring legend. :shrug:

Stan W.

Stan W.

Posted
Posted

I've heard that an umpire's reputation is made on the plate and lost on bases.

 

agreed, .........and to add to that, Ive never heard anyone compliment an umpire colleague for being "good on the bases"..........the badge of honor is being called a "great ball and strike" guy.....

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