Coach

[woodiemiller]

How many umpires here believe you should call a leader of each baseball team "Coach" or "Skipper" or whatever title you choose and believe that is the "professional" way?

How many umpires here have umpired professional baseball?

I know from my experiences in professional baseball, managers, umpires & players (especially CATCHERS for obvious reasons) are on a 1st name basis if you know their name. That is the "professional" way. Thats why names are exchanged at pre-game meetings.

I bring this up because people have the wrong impression of this. I use 1st names all the time & I express my desire to everyone involved in baseball to call me by my 1st name because it gets my attention & I know exactly who they're talking to.

[johnnyg08]

How many umpires here believe you should call a leader of each baseball team "Coach" or "Skipper" or whatever title you choose and believe that is the "professional" way?

How many umpires here have umpired professional baseball?

I know from my experiences in professional baseball, managers, umpires & players (especially CATCHERS for obvious reasons) are on a 1st name basis if you know their name. That is the "professional" way. Thats why names are exchanged at pre-game meetings.

I bring this up because people have the wrong impression of this. I use 1st names all the time & I express my desire to everyone involved in baseball to call me by my 1st name because it gets my attention & I know exactly who they're talking to.

 

I agree with you.

 

Let me put another spin on this.  You tell them your name and they call you "Blue" 

[JaxRolo]

Our college association tell umpires that if a coach calls you blue you are to correct them.

Our HS association wants us to use "coach" but I use first names.

[umpstu]

I use first names, but I have yet to get butt hurt when called blue.  Get real.  You are an umpire and will always be called blue.  When they have been around and they can remember your name, then it's another thing.  I write each head coaches name on my lineup cards, if they aren't already there.  I circle the names on the lineup so they are readily available.

[ElkOil]

We were trained specifically to call the coaches "coach" lest it appear we're engaging in favoritism by calling a coach we know by his name, but not the other if we haven't yet been introduced.  Shucks, at the plate meetings, the coaches call each other "coach" right after their introductions.

[Thunderheads]

professional?  what level?

[Magic]

I always call them by their first name. And they call me by my first name. At least the good coaches at the High School level do. Had to Division 1 High School Teams (top division in So Cal). They both called me Bill and I called them by their names. I think it's a matter of respect as much as it is professional.

Games worked 32

[JaxRolo]

We were trained specifically to call the coaches "coach" lest it appear we're engaging in favoritism by calling a coach we know by his name, but not the other if we haven't yet been introduced. Shucks, at the plate meetings, the coaches call each other "coach" right after their introductions.

Why would it show favoritism???

I've never hear coaches call each other coach:.

[ricka56]

If we are around young ones (<18), I call him Coach Lastname.

Its a throwback from the belief that familiarity breeds contempt.

The school principle certainly knows a teacher's first name,

but he addresses the teacher as Mr/Mrs. Lastname around students.

 

We its just us adults around, I address him by his first name.  

[noumpere]

You are only going to call a professional manager "coach" once.

[woodiemiller]

professional?  what level?

A-AAA

[woodiemiller]

If we are around young ones (<18), I call him Coach Lastname.

Its a throwback from the belief that familiarity breeds contempt.

The school principle certainly knows a teacher's first name,

but he addresses the teacher as Mr/Mrs. Lastname around students.

 

We its just us adults around, I address him by his first name.  

At pre-game, 1st names are told for a reason.....to be used. I correct anybody & everybody who calls me "sir" or "blue". I am not a color nor am I an officer in the military. I explain it to them as nice as can be to please call me "Woodie". People dont announce themselves at pre-games as "Coach" or "Sir/Blue". First names ARE in fact the PROFESSIONAL way. Baseball is a BLUE collar sport.

[Stan W.]

Ive been around the block on this one over the years and now it seems time has settled it for me. I never really got offended by being called blue/ump in my early days and when it happens now, I just let it pass. In my higher level games, the coaching carousel turns pretty slowly where I am and after a few years, its hard to find a "coach who gets paid to win" who doesn't know my name or I, his.....

 

To that end, we remind our new umpires the names of the local legends...for the most part they earned their respect and we give it to them and it seems, they do the same to those of us who have been there a while.....I use the term coach only for assistants... and mainly because they seem to come and go more often and my interactions with them are more seldom.

[law_reb]

For high school games (and my 2 college games so far) I find out the names of both head coaches before I get to the field, if I don't already know them.  It can easily be found on arbiter, school website, or with a google search.  I use their names when addressing them.  I tell the coaches my name, and they can use it if they'd like.  I don't tell them what to call me.  They almost all use my name.  Because I live in the south, players will usually call me "Mr. Tyler" or "sir" with the occasional "blue".  

For games at our competitive tournament complex I get names of head coaches at the plate meeting and write them on my line up card.  I use their first names. Again, I tell them mine and they can use it if they'd like.  At these games I'm usually referred to as "blue", "ump", or the occasional "Mr. Umpire".  If I see a team more than once their coaches may start to use my name.  The teams we have at these tournaments are from MS, TN, AR, MO, LA, AL, GA, IL, TX, FL, KY, etc.  So, I often don't see them more than once.    

 

Titles can be interesting.  My dad was in the army for 20+ years and retired as a Lt. Colonel.  The first day on my job people called me "General".  I'm an Assistant District Attorney General.  Everyone at the courthouse calls me "General".  I sure as anything don't outrank my father.   

[ZebraStripes]

I've been called "Blue" on a rec football field.  On the varsity football field, they are given my first name so that when they call me by name, I know it is the head coach.  I've been called all sorts of things on a baseball field, including "ref",  There are coaches that will remember your name and use it.  The example that will always stick out in my head on that was when a travel team's pitching coach got my name before the game and in the 5th inning this pitching coach politely asked about the location of one pitch with "Jeremy, was that one off the plate?"  I will remember it because the pitching coach that remembered my name and used it was none other than Phil Niekro, Baseball Hall of Famer.

[scrounge]

 

If we are around young ones (<18), I call him Coach Lastname.

Its a throwback from the belief that familiarity breeds contempt.

The school principle certainly knows a teacher's first name,

but he addresses the teacher as Mr/Mrs. Lastname around students.

 

We its just us adults around, I address him by his first name.  

At pre-game, 1st names are told for a reason.....to be used. I correct anybody & everybody who calls me "sir" or "blue". I am not a color nor am I an officer in the military. I explain it to them as nice as can be to please call me "Woodie". People dont announce themselves at pre-games as "Coach" or "Sir/Blue". First names ARE in fact the PROFESSIONAL way. Baseball is a BLUE collar sport.

 

 

I guess I'm just more old-school or formal or whatever, but I'm generally not on a first name basis with minors, so I tend not to say my first name to non-adult players. Coaches - i'll generally mirror what they say. If they use first names, I will too. If they say sir, so will I (or coach). And I have absolutely no problem with anyone calling me sir.

 

Then again, I was an officer in the military so I'm kind of used to it

[ZebraStripes]

 

 

If we are around young ones (<18), I call him Coach Lastname.

Its a throwback from the belief that familiarity breeds contempt.

The school principle certainly knows a teacher's first name,

but he addresses the teacher as Mr/Mrs. Lastname around students.

 

We its just us adults around, I address him by his first name.  

At pre-game, 1st names are told for a reason.....to be used. I correct anybody & everybody who calls me "sir" or "blue". I am not a color nor am I an officer in the military. I explain it to them as nice as can be to please call me "Woodie". People dont announce themselves at pre-games as "Coach" or "Sir/Blue". First names ARE in fact the PROFESSIONAL way. Baseball is a BLUE collar sport.

 

 

I guess I'm just more old-school or formal or whatever, but I'm generally not on a first name basis with minors, so I tend not to say my first name to non-adult players. Coaches - i'll generally mirror what they say. If they use first names, I will too. If they say sir, so will I (or coach). And I have absolutely no problem with anyone calling me sir.

 

Then again, I was an officer in the military so I'm kind of used to it

 

 

 

I don't have a lot of players coming out to my plate meeting.

[grayhawk]

I use first names with coaches and catchers. The good ones use my first name as well. If they call me "blue" I really don't care.

[umpstu]

I use first names with coaches and catchers. The good ones use my first name as well. If they call me "blue" I really don't care.

I have been working ball in the Coachella Valley for 20 years.  About every high school kid who plays varsity ball knows me and my name.  They call me by my name.  They ask me how I am doing when they come to bat.  A starting pitcher was so happy to see me on the plate yesterday he made a trip to the plate to say hello and shake my hand.  I umpired the home coach when he played in high school and college.  Coaches may know I might screw up once in a while, but I'm approachable and consistent.  Here's one thing I will never do, tell coaches that they can come out and discuss plays.  Why would you invite them to argue with you?  

[LMSANS]

I use first names with coaches and catchers. The good ones use my first name as well. If they call me "blue" I really don't care.

Me too!

[labguy1971]

Either just Coach or Coach with last name.  Sort of new, less than 3years experience.  Maybe change as the years go on, but for now that is how I address the Coach.

[bam]

It's been my experience that if a coach won't use your name after you've asked him (her?) to use it, then I'm not inclined to use his, unless it's in my interest to do so.

[UmpJeff]

I call F2s (when I'm working the stick) and coaches (when I'm on the stick or on the bases) by their first name and I expect them to call me by my first name.  I don't get my undies in a bunch when an F6 or F4, or any other player for that matter, addresses me as Blue, Ump, or Sir.  They were not included in the plate meeting, and as a result, don't know my name.  However, if they do address me as Blue, Ump, Sir, or whatever, I'll tell them that my name is Jeff and they can call me that if they want.  Most often they continue to call me Blue, Ump, or Sir...out of habit.  To me, that's not a big deal.  I have more important things to concern myself with when I'm on a diamond umpiring.

[Majordave]

I just introduce myself as "Dick". It doesn't matter that my real name is Dave. After my first couple of calls some of them want to call me (a) "Dick" anyway and this just speeds up the process.

Hahaha

[JaxRolo]

Sometimes I'm Billy Joe Jim Bob the 3rd