Catcher/Umpire Courtesy

[Guest Cleveland Coach]

I always instruct my catchers to take care of umpires. If the home plate ump gets nicked, walk the ball back to the pitcher and give him a second or two. Last game of last season. The batter swings and fouls it back and the home plate ump takes in the collarbone region (I think most umps have taken that one more than once) and he's obviously feeling it. My catcher walks the ball out to the pitcher after a quick check that the ump doesn't need medical attention. All is good. The game continues. A few innings later a batter fouls a ball off the plate that hits under my catcher's cup. He's feeling it to say the least. Home plate umpire doesn't walk the ball back out or dust off the plate. He just stands over my catcher saying:  "Shake it off. Let's go. play ball."  Doesn't even give him 10 seconds before he's saying these things. This wasn't a love tap. This was a solid hit that had fans in right field wincing. Catcher sets up, but you can tell by his stance he's not ready. (One knee on the ground)  but we made it through all right. My catcher was a little miffed, but didn't say anything until the end of the game where he made a joke of it, telling the ump: "I thought we were in this together. That was cold what you did to me." Ump merely gives him the look and walks off the field. Do you all have a standard protocol when a catcher "takes one?"

[Majordave]

With older and adult players I sometimes remind the defensive catcher that the other team's catcher is now batting.

"If we get to K3, it's gotta be all the way IN the zone to call it. No borderline strikes against catchers. "It's not a good idea to have sex with people you have to work with, you know?" Always gets a chuckle. "Of course same goes for you. I'll remind him if I need to."

Works for me.

[Welpe]

I always instruct my catchers to take care of umpires. If the home plate ump gets nicked, walk the ball back to the pitcher and give him a second or two. Last game of last season. The batter swings and fouls it back and the home plate ump takes in the collarbone region (I think most umps have taken that one more than once) and he's obviously feeling it. My catcher walks the ball out to the pitcher after a quick check that the ump doesn't need medical attention. All is good. The game continues. A few innings later a batter fouls a ball off the plate that hits under my catcher's cup. He's feeling it to say the least. Home plate umpire doesn't walk the ball back out or dust off the plate. He just stands over my catcher saying:  "Shake it off. Let's go. play ball."  Doesn't even give him 10 seconds before he's saying these things. This wasn't a love tap. This was a solid hit that had fans in right field wincing. Catcher sets up, but you can tell by his stance he's not ready. (One knee on the ground)  but we made it through all right. My catcher was a little miffed, but didn't say anything until the end of the game where he made a joke of it, telling the ump: "I thought we were in this together. That was cold what you did to me." Ump merely gives him the look and walks off the field. Do you all have a standard protocol when a catcher "takes one?"

 

Thank you for teaching your catchers the right thing to do. I certainly do appreciate it when a catcher gives me such a courtesy and I always act in kind. 

 

As a former catcher, I place a high premium on the catcher-umpire relationship. It's a pretty unique relationship between officials and players, one not often seen in other sports.

 

Unfortunately some umpires do not have much sense of the game or its finer nuances.

[hbk314]

As a BU in this situation, I'm not adverse to calling time and walking over to the pitcher and tell him I'm just giving your catcher a minute. I've never had to do that, but I have done it when my partner has gotten nailed and the F2 didn't walk the ball back to give my partner some time. 

 

You ever had a coach come running out to find out what you're talking to him about?

[Cav]

Last night my partner on the dish got smoked and not only did F2 trot out to the hill, the OHC called his batter down, soliciting oohs and aahs and even some applause from the spectators.  That gave my partner the opportunity to collect his wits.  I only wished that I would have trotted in to check on him.  But, alas, the idea of doing so never crossed my mind because I was laughing so hard over in A.

[Richvee]

 

As a BU in this situation, I'm not adverse to calling time and walking over to the pitcher and tell him I'm just giving your catcher a minute. I've never had to do that, but I have done it when my partner has gotten nailed and the F2 didn't walk the ball back to give my partner some time. 

 

You ever had a coach come running out to find out what you're talking to him about?

 

No, and if I did I'd tell him I'm giving my partner a minute. He just got nailed in the _____.  And on the inside saying"Just doing your catcher's job, coach"

[Blueump]

Had a double-header Saturday. While warming up the pitcher, the catcher takes a bouncer off the cup but recovers nicely. In the middle of the inning he takes a foul ball in the same spot. I clean the plate then carry the ball out to the mound. The catcher is still having problems so I pull out my lineup and walk over to my partner to make it look like we are having a discussion. Apparently his coach thought that we were discussing the possibility of his catcher not wearing a cup and came out to assure us he was...he even told us we could check if we wanted. Ummmm, no thanks coach! We'll take your word for it!

[Jimurray]

As a BU in this situation, I'm not adverse to calling time and walking over to the pitcher and tell him I'm just giving your catcher a minute. I've never had to do that, but I have done it when my partner has gotten nailed and the F2 didn't walk the ball back to give my partner some time.

 

You ever had a coach come running out to find out what you're talking to him about?

My F1 gets dinged. He picks up the ball. I tell him give me the ball and I walk it to the pitcher. Between innings the coach asks me what was wrong with the ball.

[Guest]

If the catcher takes one anywhere on the body, I will be very slow in putting ball back into play. I will quietly ask catcher if he is ok? need some time? you wanna go out and talk with your pitcher for a sec? If he needs time, I will clean the plate, change balls with the pitcher, anything to let him get ok. He protects me and I watch out for him.