One Man Mechanics

[MadMax]

@Sayhey, the views you are sharing are a bit narrow. While I completely agree with a few of the points and factors you expose ("top heavy school districts with big salaried admins"... dead on, man, dead on), there is no feasible or realistic way that every game of baseball – which itself covers a wide range of age, skill and capability levels – can, or should for that matter, have multiple umpires.

 

@grayhawk makes some extremely valid arguments as to why strict adherence to "multiple umpires or nothing" handicaps (or sometimes extinguishing) baseball leagues. My hockey and soccer leagues are lucky to have a single referee at them, despite the fact that the competition level could warrant an entire 3-man crew (at either!). I think we can all say, as baseball enthusiasts, we'd rather have people actively participating in baseball than not being able to because there isn't two or more umpires at a game. 

[johnnyg08]

When doing one man, how can you get a good view of a pick off attempt at first base ?  Did several games like this last year and always had an issue with the tag attempt on the slide back in or swipe at the feet going back in standing up.  You are getting set for the pitch and seems hard to move in time for an angle view for the pick off attempt.  Just curious to see how others handle this.

Easy. Safe unless he's dead meat.

[johnnyg08]

@Sayhey, the views you are sharing are a bit narrow. While I completely agree with a few of the points and factors you expose ("top heavy school districts with big salaried admins"... dead on, man, dead on), there is no feasible or realistic way that every game of baseball – which itself covers a wide range of age, skill and capability levels – can, or should for that matter, have multiple umpires.

 

@grayhawk makes some extremely valid arguments as to why strict adherence to "multiple umpires or nothing" handicaps (or sometimes extinguishing) baseball leagues. My hockey and soccer leagues are lucky to have a single referee at them, despite the fact that the competition level could warrant an entire 3-man crew (at either!). I think we can all say, as baseball enthusiasts, we'd rather have people actively participating in baseball than not being able to because there isn't two or more umpires at a game.

I get what you're saying, but there's always money for uniforms and equipment. Helmets are expensive...should a goalie only play w/ a football helmet?

Skimping on officiating is out there because there's always somebody else waiting in line to fill their pockets by working for less.

[MadMax]

I certainly cannot speak for every league / district out there, but in our league, all 9U and 8U games are 1-man. Half the 10U's are solo as well. Pay is X amount for a 2-man game. Pay for a solo game is X + 40% of X. Best effort by the league and umpires is to only start 14U and 13U games (60-90) with two umpires. Sometimes, due to circumstances, 12U and 11U games get underway with only 1 umpire. In that case, pay is X + 60% of X.

 

And we do it.

 

I look at it this way – solo jobs, for those younger skill levels, do not require two umpires. They just _don't_. You hustle, stay on top of things, stay calm and humble, and things go just fine. Your working of a solo game is allowing your fellow umpires to put two (for sure) on an upper or equal level game. It's egg on our face (as a league) if games get cancelled because we don't have umpires for all the games. With that said, I and a few of my colleagues have worked high-school Fall Ball games solo. It's not the end of the world.

 

Back on those younger skill level games, there just isn't... "room" or reason for a second, "fully-vested" umpire. What I mean by that, the rules restrict alot of the things that warrant a second umpire being there (no balks, no stealing, etc.). Now, if a league or association wanted to use these games as a means of training new umpires, then I'm all for it. But it has to be regarded in that context. I was working as BU on a 13U game while a 8U game started up on an adjacent field. This park notoriously has a challenge in getting umpires, because of its location on the fringe of our league's boundaries, thus the coaches have been given latitude in who they ascribe to be umpires. The 8U game must have got two high school kids to be the umpires and thrown two polo shirts on them, because it looked tragic. The PU's performance notably suffered because the BU was that much of a train wreck. If I had my say, I would have sent that BU home, taken the PU, put him into a spare umpire uniform I had, and paired him up with my PU while I worked the 8U game solo.

 

Furthermore, my first exposure to college-age baseball (as an umpire) was a complete happenstance. The game was about to start in the ballpark across the street from my apartment building, and I was just pulling in from work. I checked out the teams warming up, and noticed only one umpire conducting the plate meeting. After the meeting concluded, I stepped to the fence and asked the umpire where his partner(s) were. He replied, "Came down sick. Can't make it. I'm on my own tonight." These were two college programs about to play! I identified myself, and asked if I could join him, as I lived just-over-there and could get a matching uniform on in a jiffy. He took me up on the offer, but he did not hold up the first pitch on my account. I joined the game in the middle of the first inning, and what an experience! This is the game that gave my umpire career the ol' kick of motivation, and inspired me to improve. Watching that gentleman work, though, I have no doubt that he could have worked that game solo – he was in total command of it from the word "Play".

[Sut'n Blue]

FWIW:

When working alone I find it helpful to imitate what I would do if I had a partner in the sense that I will (very) discreetly give my signals as if there was a BU out there to communicate with. We benefit from being creatures of habit so the more we can keep things constant the better.

[woodiemiller]

Hustle doesn't guarantee anything. There is such a thing as OVER hustling. Try and get the best angle you can as angle super cedes distance.

[Recontra]

I adopt and applaud everything my esteemed collegue, Mr. Grayhawk has stated on the subject.

 

Hustle--It's like being a "tip slut" at a restaurant--you might be slammed, and half your co-workers bailed on the Friday night shift, and people might be getting really slow service despite your hustle, but if they see you busting your ass, breaking a sweat, and panting a bit--they'll usually not yell at you and will acknowledge they know it's not your fault.  They'll also usually still leave a nice tip.

 

Pick-offs at 1st--PU has a better angle and distance than the Manager standing in the 3rd base box or in the far dugout--and he's the one going to be arguing that he had a better angle and distance.  Pullease!!  Make the call in your mind, stick to it, and then announce it, and then stick to it.

 

Pick-offs at 3rd--With a right handed pitcher, these happen so fast, there's no time to even slide step to increase the angle. Don't rush the call or the signalling mechanic unless it's obvious. You can process what you saw while walking out towards the mound a bit, and then when you make the call and announce it, it kinda looks like you hustled out there and are making the call with a little better angle and distance.  Besides that, it looks like you hustled. They were all watching the play, not the umpire.

 

Throw-backs to 3rd--Don't tell them not to do it, and likewise don't knee jerk "safe" the play. There's time to get at least a slightly better angle (not distance). I pivot or slide step toward 1st base.  Again, no rush, if you need to process, take a couple of brisk steps towards the shortstop.

 

Not calling time when you turn to run back to the plate from the working area or to clean the plate--I believe Grayhawk and others have this one right (unless your association of course says otherwise). I originally had a more veteran umpire tell me that's what he did and announced at the plate talk. Later, some of my online forum mentors straightened me out. How long does it take to signal time before you run back to the plate and to say, "Play!"  If you think there's automatic time everytime you clean the plate, how much time are you really saving, instead of calling time! cleaning the plate, and then putting the ball back into play. Couple of seconds? So, my solo game theoretically might last 20 seconds longer than yours?  If there's automatic "time!" just when is the ball back in play? Do we have automatic "Play!" after the automatic "Time!"  But I confess that I, too, originally thought this sounded like a cool thing to do. Way, way uncool.

[woodiemiller]

This is why ONE MAN is much easier behind the mound! You have angles at everything except the foul lines.

[labguy1971]

HUSTLE!  If you show the teams that you are out there working hard, then they will tend to stay off your back on your long distance calls.

 

Read the play, and get in the best possible position for the most likely play.  Always think ahead to the next play.

 

Don't be afraid of getting out in the infield to make calls, even when runners will be crossing the plate.  For example, with R2 & R3 and a double hit to the gap, you should be out at the second base cutout to make the potential call there.  Both runners will score easily, so don't hang out at the plate.

 

Prioritize.  You can only see so much.  Make sure you see the most important things, at the risk of seeing things that are not as important.

 

If the ball beats the runner and the tag is down, he's out unless you specifically KNOW that the tag was missed.

 

If FPSR is in effect, don't stay with the play at second too long.  Turn with the throw to first!

 

On steals, make sure there is no BI before moving your attention to the play at the base.  You have more time than you think to take a step out to make that call.

 

Those are off the top of my head.  Some folks would say not to take ANY crap.  I agree with that as long as you are hustling.

Well said, show them you are working with good hustle and they will stay off your back.  Some call from behind the pitcher in the field where as I call from behind the plate.  Your choice if association allows one or the other.